A brand new KLM Cityhopper Embraer E195-E2 experienced an issue with its landing gear on Saturday, May 22nd, as it was departing Amsterdam for Rome Fiumicino. The aircraft was climbing out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport when the crew advised air traffic control that the landing gear wasn’t retracting.
KLM offered the following statement to Simple Flying regarding the incident:
“Flight KL1603 to Rome was recalled to Amsterdam Schiphol on Saturday 22 May as a precaution due to a possible technical defect. The aircraft (PH-NXD) is now in hangar for inspection. The passengers were not in danger and left for Rome with a replacement aircraft as soon as possible.”
Landing gear issues
According to The Aviation Herald, an Embraer E195-E2 registered as PH-NXD was performing flight KL1603 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) on May 22nd when the incident occurred.
The jet was climbing out of Amsterdam Schiphol’s runway 24 when the crew reported that their gear wasn’t retracting. Five minutes had passed since this initial report when the crew advised that they could continue to Rome as the gear finally was up. However, the crew had also consulted with maintenance on the issue.
Eventually, the crew advised that they had decided to return to Amsterdam. Lowering the landing gear successfully, the E195-E2 landed safely on runway 27 approximately 35 minutes after initial departure.
The Aviation Herald notes that a replacement E195-E2 was arranged for the service to Rome. This aircraft was registered PH-NXB. In total, passengers experienced a delay of approximately three hours.
Simple Flying reached out to KLM requesting a comment on the incident. At the time of publication, however, no response was received.
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The very first commercial service
It’s definitely not a good look for the planemaker when one of its brand new aircraft experiences a mechanical issue. Indeed, in this instance, the term ‘brand new’ is no understatement as the aircraft was on its very first revenue flight.
The aircraft involved in the Saturday incident had only officially joined KLM’s fleet on May 15th, 2021. The jet had departed from Embraer’s facilities in Brazil on a series of positioning flights to Europe on May 16th.
One of three active E195-E2 jets flying with KLM’s regional brand Cityhopper, PH-NXD has since operated one successful round-trip journey. The plane flew from Amsterdam to Berlin on May 23rd, returning the same day. Today, the aircraft is scheduled to fly out of Amsterdam to both Prague and Munich.
About KLM Cityhopper’s E195-E2s
The Embraer E195-E2 is the latest addition to the KLM family and is the third and largest Embraer model in the Dutch carrier’s fleet.
“For KLM this aircraft is a significant part of our commitment to improving our environmental impact. Not only is the E195-E2 the most fuel efficient lowest emission aircraft in its class, it is also the quietest by a considerable margin – a huge benefit for both our communities and our passengers.” -Pieter Elbers, President & CEO, KLM
The jet is configured to accommodate 132 passengers with its standard flexible cabin layout. It’s in this configuration that business class travelers have a middle seat blocked off.
The E195-E2’s improvements include larger overhead bins for more hand baggage and new seats equipped with USB charging ports.
Have you flown with KLM Cityhopper in recent times? Or on an Embraer E195-E2? Share your experiences by leaving a comment.
