A pilot was forced to land his Cessna 210 airplane without landing gear Sunday at Juneau International Airport after a malfunction prevented the gear from descending.
The pilot was able to land the plane safely, and he and his passenger were both able to walk away unharmed. The plane is registered to Hoonah pilot Timothy Hlavnicka, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s listing of the plane. Airport officials weren’t able to confirm whether Hlavnicka was the pilot at the time.
About 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Cessna was coming in to land in Juneau when the gear wouldn’t go down. The pilot circled around for a bit, Airport Manager Patty Wahto said, then decided to land without the landing gear. Wahto said the pilot kept his composure throughout the situation.
“With as many aircraft as we have coming in and out of Juneau, it’s not all that common,” Wahto said of planes having to land without gear. “People are very calm, cool and collected about it when it happens, and that’s probably what prevents major injuries.”
The plane landed at about 2:45 p.m., Wahto said. A portion of the runway was then closed to allow Capital City Fire/Rescue to come out and provide medical attention if needed. Both occupants were unharmed, CCFR Capt. Roy Johnston said.
There was a hydraulic fluid leak, Wahto said, which was cleaned up afterward. The portion of the runway remained closed for about 45 minutes, she said.
“We’re always happy when it has a good ending,” Wahto said.
According to the FAA’s listing of the plane, the plane’s registration expired May 31, 2017.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
