On Jan 23rd 2026, a KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-195-E2 was forced to abandon its climb out of Stavanger not once, but twice, after crews were unable to retract the landing gear, leaving the aircraft grounded for the rest of the day.
The aircraft, registered PH-NXZ, was operating flight KL-1172 from Stavanger, Norway, to Amsterdam in the Netherlands when the problem first appeared shortly after departure. After lifting off from runway 18, the crew reported that the landing gear would not retract and stopped the climb at 5,000 feet. The jet then entered a holding pattern at 6,000 feet while the crew worked through troubleshooting procedures before deciding to return to Stavanger. The aircraft landed safely on runway 10 about 30 minutes after takeoff.
After several hours on the ground, the same aircraft attempted to depart again roughly 4.5 hours later. However, the issue reappeared, forcing the crew to return to Stavanger once more for a second safe landing. With the repeated failure unresolved, the aircraft remained on the ground around nine hours after the second landing, and approximately 13.5 hours after the initial return.
No injuries were reported during either return, but the dual interruption underscored the operational impact of technical faults that surface immediately after departure. Engineers are expected to inspect the landing gear system in detail before the aircraft is cleared to fly again, as passengers and schedules were disrupted by the repeated turnbacks.
