El Al Plane En Route To New York To Make Emergency Landing At Israel's Ben Gurion Airport

LOD, Israel - An El Al Airlines passenger jet bound for New York with 279 people on board sparked an emergency at Ben Gurion International Airport early Monday after a technical fault was discovered in the left wheel, the Jerusalem Post reported.

El Al flight 27 was due to make an emergency landing about 5:15am local time, Yeshiva World News reported, after dumping fuel for several hours over the Mediterranean Sea.

The news website reported there were numerous Americans on the flight, returning from the Jewish festive holiday of Lag BaOmer, in Meron.

More than 70 rescue teams were sent to the airport.

The aircraft, belonging to Israel's national airline, had just taken off from Ben Gurion bound for Newark, when the landing gear malfunction discovered, YWN Israel reported.

Ben Gurion International Airport is the largest and busiest in Israel and is located near Lod, nine miles (15km) southeast of Tel Aviv.