Plane Carrying 3 People Lands Without Wheels After Suffering Mid-Air Mechanical Failure
Three people aboard a plane in Australia narrowly escaped a potential disaster.
On Monday, May 13, a plane owned by Eastern Air Services (EAS) experienced a mid-air mechanical failure shortly after taking off from Newcastle, New South Wales.
The aircraft, originally bound for Port Macquarie about 112 miles north, encountered issues with its landing gear, rendering it unable to deploy. Consequently, the pilot was forced to execute an emergency landing on a runway at Newcastle Airport, located north of Sydney.
Before attempting the landing, the pilot circled the runway for three hours to reduce the plane's fuel load, necessary for a gear-less landing. The twin-turboprop Beechcraft Super King Air successfully touched down at 12:20 p.m. local time.
During a press briefing, New South Wales Police Superintendent Wayne Humphrey confirmed that the 53-year-old pilot and his two passengers, a 60-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, emerged unscathed from the incident and did not require hospitalization.
Humphrey explained, “[There were] issues with a landing gear, as a result of that, the pilot — a 53-year-old Queensland man — decided to stay around the airport till he resolved the issue on the aircraft.” He commended the pilot for his calm and decisive actions, noting that the landing was executed without the use of landing gear.
He also mentioned a coordinated effort involving the Royal Air Force, New South Wales Police, ambulance services, and fire brigade in response to the emergency.
According to officials, the retrieval of the aircraft will necessitate the closure of the airport for approximately 24 hours. Eastern Air Services confirmed that the incident will be subject to investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
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