American Airlines 787 Returns to Miami With Gear Disagree on Climb

An American Airlines Boeing 787-8 carrying 190 people landed safely back in Miami roughly 30 minutes after takeoff on Monday 9 November 2026, after its crew received a landing gear disagree indication on the climb out. The aircraft, registration N884AA, was operating flight AA206 to Milan Malpensa.

What happened after departure from Miami?

The Dreamliner departed from runway 08R and began a normal climb, according to The Aviation Herald. Shortly afterwards, the crew asked air traffic control to level off at 5,000 feet so they could work an issue.

The pilots then reported a gear disagree and confirmed the landing gear remained locked down. They told controllers they needed to return to Miami. The crew landed the 787-8 safely on runway 09 about half an hour after departure, and the flight track is visible on Flightradar24.

American Airlines brought in a replacement aircraft. Sister 787-8 N819AN operated the service and reached Milan around two hours and 20 minutes behind schedule. That is roughly the length of a standard film with trailers, and a tolerable delay for a transatlantic sector.

Why does a gear disagree matter?

A gear disagree alert tells pilots that the landing gear position does not match the gear lever. It can also mean the indications for each gear leg do not agree with one another. In this case, the gear stayed locked down after the aircraft left Miami.

Crossing the Atlantic with the gear extended was not an option. The extra drag dramatically increases fuel burn, and the crew cannot rely on the system for the remainder of the flight. Returning to Miami was therefore the safest and most sensible decision.

What is the aircraft's background?

According to Planespotters, N884AA carries manufacturer serial number 66004 and line number 1137. Boeing built the jet at its Charleston plant, and American Airlines took delivery in December 2022. It entered service on 26 December 2022.

The aircraft seats 234 passengers across three cabins:

• 20 business class seats
• 28 premium economy seats
• 186 economy seats

Two General Electric engines power the jet, which carries American's fleet number 8BN.

Is this the first gear issue at Miami?

It is not. This incident follows a familiar pattern for American's 787 fleet at the Florida hub.

On 6 November 2024, 787-8 N873BB stopped its climb at 5,000 feet out of the same runway, 08R, with a gear door problem. The jet landed on runway 09 with a main gear bogie tilted the wrong way, The Aviation Herald reported. It spent three days on the ground in Miami.

On 28 March 2025, sister aircraft N871AY returned to Miami with gear problems while flying to Paris Charles de Gaulle. Passengers on that flight waited about 29.5 hours for a replacement, according to The Aviation Herald.

By comparison, the AA206 passengers reached Milan just over two hours late. A far smoother recovery this time. Whether the pattern prompts any fleet-level attention to the 787 gear system remains an open question for American's maintenance organisation.