A Beech E55 Baron light twin-engine aircraft performed an emergency belly landing in Adelaide, South Australia, after a landing gear malfunction.
The incident took place on October 10, 2022, when the aircraft was flying across Adelaide.
Just before landing in Aldinga Airfield (YADG), the pilot reported an issue with the landing clutch, meaning that the aircraft was unable to touchdown as normal.
Three South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) fire trucks and police were deployed and waited for the aircraft to land. Firefighters doused the area in foam to minimize the risk of a potential fire when the plane impacted the runway.
Meanwhile, the Beech E55 circled the area for around two hours to get rid of excess fuel before attempting to make an emergency landing.
A witness captured the incident on video from inside the airfield area. The footage was shared by national news service 9News and showed the plane as it finally landed with its wheels up before skidding smoothly across the runway on its belly.
#BREAKING: A pilot has performed an amazing emergency landing at Aldinga Airfield, after his landing gear became stuck.
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) October 10, 2022
Emergency crews were on standby as the pilot made his nail-biting descent. #9News pic.twitter.com/vJwaIzysDt
The pilot escaped from the plane seconds after the landing and was unharmed. The aircraft suffered unidentified damage to its airframe.
