Originally Posted by
mcnett
The 738 requires less than 6500 feet to land on a dry runway with ordinary flap settings. LAX's longest runway is nearly twice that long! So a no-flap landing is no big deal at all, in this case - just a little longer roll down the runway.
At a very small airport the flight might have had to divert.
I don't know the 738 well enough, but a no flap landing in a large passenger jet is usually at least a semi-big deal.
The longer runway is one issue that can be solved. That doesn't solve the issue of a much faster landing speed, which has its own set of problems, including the effect on the landing gear and the risk of blowing a tire, etc.