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Fighter jet landing gear malfunctions, pilot lands it on a stool

Fighter jet landing gear malfunctions, pilot lands it on a stool

No landing gear? No problem.

On June 7, just moments after taking off from USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, Marine Corps Captain William Mahoney realized the AV-8B Harrier aircraft he was flying had experienced a front landing gear malfunction.

He immediately slowed down the Harrier, flying it back above the ship at a lower altitude so an LSO (landing signal officer) could better identify the problem.

Mahoney's only option: to nail a perfect vertical landing with the nose resting on a padded stool-like support.

"The ship had this amazing invention that was, like, basically a stool, that was built specifically for this reason," Mahoney explained in a YouTube video.

As he lowered the Harrier, he realized he couldn't see what was below him. "I'm at 20 feet stabilized and I can't see the stool," he said.

He did it.

His incredible landing is now going viral.

"There's no way to train for this situation," Mahoney said, admitting he was shaken by the stressful landing experience.

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