Part 2/9:
Captain Wolfgang Arminger, a veteran pilot with over 23,000 hours of flying experience, commanded the flight alongside a relatively inexperienced First Officer, Thorstein Orr. With that extensive experience and a straightforward flight path, the takeoff seemed unremarkable. Yet, just moments into their journey, everything changed when the crew attempted to retract the landing gear, only to receive indications that it was not functioning properly. Instead of escalating to a crisis, they were told by their training that flying with the landing gear extended was manageable, although it introduced considerable drag.