[dolbz]

That is interesting. I'm sure I've read of planes doing a fly-by for the control tower to assess whether the landing gear is actually down or not in situations like this. Were there reasons something like this wasn't attempted in this case?

[CWuestefeld]

I've just been reading an autobiography of a WWII aviator (a tailgunner in a B-17). He mentions that for planes with substantial damage, it was standard procedure to bring the plane in on its belly with no landing gear. This was because there was a good chance the landing gear itself was damaged, and if so, having it there would do far more harm than good.

If it's possible to bring in a B-17 on its belly as a preventative measure, surely it's possible to do so with a modern airliner when the alternative is a real crash.

[Someone]

I do not know whether you are right, but I think most successful B-17 belly landings would involve ditching all cargo (i.e. bombs) before landing. AFAIK, doing that with a modern airliner only is possible in Hollywood.