The pilot of a small twin-engine plane burned fuel to make an emergency landing at Fort Worth Alliance Airport late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane was having landing gear problems and forced to land on its belly because part of the plane's gear strut was left on the ground during departure at another airport.
The plane could be seen tilting to one side as it approached the runway. As the plane touched down, sparks appeared from under the plane.
The plane landed safely as emergency crews doused the plane with foam to ensure any fire was extinguished.
The FAA issued the following statement:
A twin-engine Beechcraft King Air (N176TW) made an emergency landing at Fort Worth Alliance Airport this afternoon after losing its right main landing gear during departure from another airport.
The aircraft, with three people aboard, touched down safely on its left main gear and nose gear around 5:30 p.m. before settling onto its right engine cowling and coming to a stop. Nobody was injured.
The aircraft departed earlier in the afternoon from Greenville Majors Airport in Greenville, Texas. The pilot immediately reported a problem and verified during a fly-by at Greenville that the aircraft’s right wheel and landing gear strut had fallen off during takeoff.
The pilot elected to burn off fuel and divert to Alliance Airport, where Fort Worth Fire Department crews were waiting.
The FAA will investigate.
