American Airlines Flight 1866 Diverts to SFO After Landing Gear Failure

An American Airlines Airbus A319 diverted to San Francisco International Airport on Jan. 15, 2026, after the flight crew discovered the landing gear would not extend normally during approach to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY). Flight 1866 was operating from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) to Monterey when the malfunction occurred.

The pilots executed a go-around and entered a holding pattern to troubleshoot the system before declaring a PAN-PAN urgency call — one step below a full Mayday. The crew then activated the aircraft's alternate gear extension system and received confirmation that all three landing gear assemblies were down and locked. The flight diverted to SFO, a decision consistent with standard protocol favoring airports with longer runways and dedicated emergency response resources.

Upon touchdown at SFO, the aircraft experienced a secondary issue: loss of nose-wheel steering, requiring ground crews to tow the plane clear of the runway. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew. American Airlines has not issued a formal public statement on the root cause of the mechanical failure, and the incident remains under review by aviation safety analysts.