A Nike Inc. corporate jet carrying seven people developed landing gear problems shortly after takeoff Monday but then made a safe emergency landing.
The Gulfstream jet touched down at 12:11 p.m. at Hillsboro airport, the same airport where it had taken off bound for Toronto around five hours earlier. The right main landing gear on the jet had become stuck shortly after takeoff but was successfully unstuck and extended after the crew consulted with Gulfsteam.
Neither Nike co-founder Phil Knight nor any sports stars were on board, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. But a Nike official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Nike President and CEO William D. Perez was among those on board.
Vada Manager, a Nike spokesman, said those on board the Gulfstream V were three senior executives, a fourth Nike employee and three crew members. Nike is the world’s largest athletic shoe and clothing company.
The plane was a Gulfstream V, a small top-end jet sold mainly to wealthy travelers and corporate executives. The right landing gear of the jet failed to fully retract after taking off, according to airport officials.
The pilot circled the Portland airport to burn fuel to reduce the risk of fire when the plane lands.
Earlier, an aviation official said that the jet could go to a nearby regional airport to try and jog the landing gear by making “touch-and-go” passes on the runway.
“They may try to go to Hillsboro airport to try and jar down the landing gear,” said Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration. Hillsboro is near Beaverton, Oregon, a Portland suburb where Nike is headquartered.
The jet experienced landing gear difficulties after takeoff from Hillsboro, Oregon at approximately 6 a.m. today, NBC News reported.
with 146 people aboard made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport with a crippled nose gear. There were no serious injuries.
Nike shares were down 1.5 percent at $86.33 on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Nike jet had been en route headed to Toronto.