Cessna belly-flops at Eros
A small aircraft landed on its belly at Eros Airport in Windhoek yesterday morning. Its 58-year-old pilot was uninjured.
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) confirmed the incident, saying that a Cessna 210 aircraft executed a belly landing at the airport at about 09:30.
According to the NAC, a trainee pilot studying through the Windhoek Flight Centre was involved in the mishap. The aircraft belongs to a 58-year-old man who had bought the aircraft.
The aircraft accident investigator at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Oscar Plichta, told Namibian Sun that the pilot was doing “circuits” at the airport. This includes landing and take-off exercises and forms part of pilot training.
On the seventh circuit the plane's landing gear did not deploy.
The Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigation immediately secured and cleared the scene, according to NAC.
The aircraft has since been removed from the runway. No significant damage to the runway or airport facilities was observed and operations at the airport are back to normal.
“We responded to the scene and it took us about 50 minutes to clear up so that the runway is open again,” said Plichta. The damage to the aircraft was minimal.
According to Plichta, he investigated the aircraft and there were no mechanical faults.
“The landing gear did not deploy when the pilot landed and that led to the aircraft going belly-up.”
NAC said it remained committed to maintaining safe landings and take-offs at airports.
ELLANIE SMIT
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) confirmed the incident, saying that a Cessna 210 aircraft executed a belly landing at the airport at about 09:30.
According to the NAC, a trainee pilot studying through the Windhoek Flight Centre was involved in the mishap. The aircraft belongs to a 58-year-old man who had bought the aircraft.
The aircraft accident investigator at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Oscar Plichta, told Namibian Sun that the pilot was doing “circuits” at the airport. This includes landing and take-off exercises and forms part of pilot training.
On the seventh circuit the plane's landing gear did not deploy.
The Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigation immediately secured and cleared the scene, according to NAC.
The aircraft has since been removed from the runway. No significant damage to the runway or airport facilities was observed and operations at the airport are back to normal.
“We responded to the scene and it took us about 50 minutes to clear up so that the runway is open again,” said Plichta. The damage to the aircraft was minimal.
According to Plichta, he investigated the aircraft and there were no mechanical faults.
“The landing gear did not deploy when the pilot landed and that led to the aircraft going belly-up.”
NAC said it remained committed to maintaining safe landings and take-offs at airports.
ELLANIE SMIT
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