The pilot of a Piper Meridian rolled off the runway during landing Friday morning at Spencer J. Hardy Airport. The pilot was not injured; no one else was aboard.
The pilot, who was alone, was unhurt. The plane sustained minor damage.
“It’s the equivalent of sliding into the ditch in your car,” said Airport Manager Mark Johnson.
Still, minor damage to an airplane can be expensive. The incident left the plane’s propeller bent. Anytime the propeller of a plane comes to a sudden stop, Johnson explained, the engine has to be torn down to check for possible damage.
The landing gear did not appear to be damaged, Johnson said, but will also have to be checked.
Johnson said he did not know the cause of the runoff.
The incident, which occurred about 11 a.m. Friday, closed the airport for about 45 minutes. Johnson said it was unclear if any air traffic had to divert from the airport.
Johnson explained that rollout is the phase of landing after the wheels have touched down when brakes are being applied and the plane is slowing down. He said the aircraft was about two thirds of the way down the runway when it went off.
The plane, based at the Howell airport, had taken off there earlier on a short out-and-back flight.
The Piper Meridian is a single-engine turboprop capable of carrying six passengers. The pilot is the owner of the plane.
Digging the plane out was done the same way it would be for a car; personnel used snow shovels, a tow vehicle and a bit of pushing.
Source: http://www.livingstondaily.com
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