Officials still unsure why landing gear failed in JFK emergency landing

Authorities Sunday remained stumped by the failure of a Delta jet’s landing gear, which prompted a spark-filled emergency landing at Kennedy Airport Saturday night.

Jim Peters of the FAA said inspection of the landing gear and the bottom of the aircraft will likely begin today.

Delta Flight 4951, originally bound for White Plains from Atlanta, was forced to land at JFK around 8 p.m. Saturday after the crew noticed a problem with the right-side landing gear. JFK had a longer runway needed for the tricky landing.

The pilot told the passengers to “brace for landing,” then skidded the plane down the tarmac. None of the 64 people onboard was injured.

“I've never prayed so hard in my whole life,” one passenger told the Daily News. “I was just crying and praying to God that we would be okay.”

A spokesman for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which runs the connecting flight under the Delta badge, said the airline was “proud” of the crew and that it “did an exceptional job following.”