United Flight Suffers Terrifying ‘Mechanical Issue’ (Video)

United Airlines is investigating a runway scare in Orlando after one of its newest jets appeared to partially collapse during landing, jolting passengers and leaving the aircraft stranded in the middle of the tarmac.

The incident happened Sunday afternoon as Flight 2323 arrived from Chicago O’Hare in rough weather. The Airbus A321neo, delivered to United just two years ago, touched down hard on the wet runway. Within seconds, the jet lurched to the left, dipped, and visibly lost a piece of its landing gear assembly, according to witnesses and video captured from the ground.

MCO today, “can see what looks like a nose wheel roll off the gear and exit to the right “ pic.twitter.com/jjb0ofWY5c

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) January 18, 2026

One stunned bystander watching the landing can be heard saying, “Oooh, something popped off,” as the aircraft buckled and skidded off the centerline.

Sources at Orlando International Airport said the aircraft came to a stop blocking the runway. Airport vehicles rushed in while the 200 passengers and six crew members waited for instructions. With the jet unable to taxi, buses were dispatched to pick up everyone onboard.

No injuries were reported, but several passengers later described the moment as “terrifying” and “violent.”

“It felt like the whole plane dropped,” one traveler told a Florida reporter. “People gasped. Then we smelled something burning, and the pilot told us to stay calm.”

A United technician familiar with the A321neo, who spoke on background because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said early signs point to a possible failure within the left landing gear support structure. “You don’t want anything detaching on touchdown,” he said. “That’s not normal. Something mechanical happened that shouldn’t have.”

United issued a short statement as teams began working to move the disabled jet.

“United flight 2323 from Chicago to Orlando experienced a mechanical issue upon landing. Passengers are being bused to the terminal and our team is working to remove the aircraft from the runway. No injuries have been reported,” the airline said.

The FAA has not yet announced an official investigation, but aviation experts expect the agency to review the incident given the visible gear problem and the plane’s relatively young age.

Weather, mechanical stress, and possible component failure are all being considered as factors.

One airport operations employee summed up the mood on the ground: “Everyone got off safe. But this could have been a lot worse.”