Local News
Small Airplane Crashed Without Landing Gear at Austin Airport
On Wednesday, May 11, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport closed its east runway after a plane landed without its landing gear.
A small twin-engine airplane landed on its belly at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when its landing gear failed to function. As the Austin American-Statesman reported, the plane “was only occupied by the pilot, who was uninjured and refused treatment from paramedics at the scene.”
The east runway was reopened in the early evening after an investigation was done on the craft and the runway following the bizarre crash landing. The plane was damaged in its landing and needed to be worked on by crews to ensure all missing parts were off the runway.
Officials aren’t sure if “the pilot reported issues with the plane’s landing gear before landing the aircraft on its belly,” but regardless, everyone is grateful that no one is hurt.
The owner of the plane has not been identified, but does have addresses near West Lake Hills and in Austin. The plane crash caused airline and private operations to stick to the west runway only, but there were very few delays caused by the plane.
Nothing belonging to the airport was damaged, and flights have all returned to a normal schedule.
