A Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-700, operated by SkyWest Airlines, returned to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on December 22 due to landing gear issues. The aircraft, identified as N717EV, encountered a "gear disagreement" shortly after takeoff when cockpit instruments displayed inconsistent information about the landing gear status.
The flight, DL4273 to Brainerd, had taken off from runway 12L at 10:11 AM after a 47-minute delay. Following the gear issue detection at around 3,800 feet altitude, the pilots informed air traffic control and conducted safety checks to determine whether faulty sensors or more serious problems were involved. As a precautionary measure, they declared an emergency and returned to Minneapolis.
After approximately 15 minutes of maneuvering in the airspace, the aircraft safely landed on runway 12R without reaching its destination of Brainerd. To accommodate passengers affected by this incident, SkyWest Airlines dispatched another CRJ-700 registered as N768SK for their journey with a four-hour delay.