FAA investigating rough landing of US Airways jet in Charlotte

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Federal safety officials are investigating an incident in which a US Airways jet struck runway lights, damaging the underside of the plane's tail, while attempting to land after the pilots reported wind shear.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that the crew safely pulled up, circled and landed without further incident Saturday evening in Charlotte, North Carolina.

There were 153 passengers and six crew members on board. The airline said there were no injuries.

The captain reported damage to the Airbus A321 jet after the flight from Atlanta. The Charlotte airport closed a runway after workers found debris and damage to the lights, but no other flights were affected, an FAA spokeswoman said.

US Airways parent American Airlines Group Inc. reported the incident to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, a company spokeswoman said. The plane suffered damage to the underside of the tail and was taken out of service, she said.

Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed or direction and can be dangerous, especially for planes near the ground. Radar systems are designed to detect wind shear, and pilots are trained to respond appropriately, including aborting the landing and performing a so-called go-around maneuver.