Airplane landing gear fails in Plains

A small aircraft had a mishap while in the process of making a landing at Penn Stohr Field, the Plains airport, on Saturday, Dec. 22. There were no injuries, but the airport had to be shut down for a couple of hours, according to Randy Garrison, the airport manager.

The aircraft was traveling from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Plains. The pilot was the only occupant.

The Beechcraft single engine airplane was making a landing when the landing gear collapsed. The plane slid on the runway 300 to 500 feet, but did not go off the runway, Garrison said. The pilot told the airport manager that he lowered the landing gear and didn't know what went wrong. Garrison said that because there were no injuries or fatalities, that most likely neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the National Transportation Safety Board would launch an investigation.

Garrison said the aircraft was a total loss. There was significant damage to the propeller, front of the aircraft and the engine. Officials from the owner's insurance company dismantled the plane, placed it on a trailer and hauled it away. The airport manager said this was the first mishap since Penn Stohr Field opened in 2006.