HR0604 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0604 LRB097 14657 GRL 59548 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the crew of the Polish LOT Airlines flight that successfully landed a Boeing 767 without the use of landing gear and without any casualties aboard the flight; and

WHEREAS, During a flight from Newark, New Jersey to Warsaw, Poland, a Polish LOT Airlines flight, carrying 231 passengers, encountered a problem with the plane's hydraulic system that kept the landing gear from deploying; without being able to use any of the plane's 3 wheels, the plane would have to land on its belly, a dangerous situation that makes it impossible to change the plane's direction after it sets down on the tarmac and difficult to land safely; and

WHEREAS, Despite not having any operable wheels on the aircraft, Tadeusz Wrona, the captain of the LOT aircraft, and his crew decided to continue the flight to Warsaw's Frederic Chopin airport and attempt to land, in order to decrease the risk of fire by using up the plane's heavy fuel load; once they arrived in Warsaw, the crew was able to land the aircraft on its belly so smoothly that many on board thought it had landed on its wheels; the plane suffered no major structural damage and there were no casualties; and

WHEREAS, Such a miraculous landing would not be possible without the crew's incredible training, professionalism, and preparedness; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Tadeusz Wrona and the other crew members of the Polish LOT Airlines flight for their wonderful courage and skill under pressure and wish them success in their future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the crew of the Polish LOT Airlines flight as a symbol of our esteem and respect.