Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 60
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
City: SAN JOSE
State: California
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office: FAA San Jose FSDO-15
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GEAR COLLAPSED, SAN JOSE, CA
San Jose: After landing-gear snag forces emergency landing, attorney-pilot makes client meeting on time
SAN JOSE -- An attorney flying his twin-engine plane from Southern California to Mineta San Jose International Airport for a client meeting was forced into an emergency landing after a landing-gear malfunctioned Tuesday morning, but he was still apparently able to make his appointment.
It helped that the meeting was in a nearby private office on the airport grounds.
Pilot Lloyd Copenbarger, his brother Paul -- with whom he heads a law firm -- and a senior paralegal departed from Chino in the Beechcraft Duke aircraft were about to touch down in San Jose when around 10:30 a.m., Copenbarger heard a loud pop after he deployed the landing gear. The green light indicating a successful activation also remained dimmed, according to firm spokesman Chris Carroll.
After several failed attempts to get the right gear to extend, he radioed for emergency support so that the grounds crews could prepare for an impromptu landing.
Copenbarger "at that point had no choice but to bring the plane down to land, keeping on the left landing gear as long as he could until finally having to level off," Carroll said.
The plane skidded on its belly on runway 30L and came to rest with its right wing touching down on a grassy berm. SJFD spokesman Capt. Christopher Salcido said fire crews, based at the airport stabilized the airplane to allow for the safe exit of the three occupants, and no injuries were reported.
The 11,000-foot runway where the plane landed was reopened just after 1:30 p.m. Barnes said runway 30R remained operational and there were no flight disruptions.
Copenbarger's plans also evaded disruption: Carroll said thanks to the work of airport personnel, Copenbarger and his paralegal "went straight into appointments that were scheduled."
Original article can be found at: http://www.contracostatimes.com
All three people on board were uninjured, according to airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.
Barnes said the incident was reported around 10:30 a.m., when the pilot expressed concerns about the landing gear to air traffic controllers after hearing a loud pop while deploying the gear. When the planelanded a few minutes later, the landing gear collapsed.
“We still have the aircraft on the runway along with our firefighters,” Barnes said. “The (Federal Aviation Administration) is still on scene as part of the investigative process.”
The runway will remain closed until the FAA authorizes airport personnel to tow the plane, after which the runway can be inspected.
A parallel runway remains open, and Barnes said Tuesday morning’s incident has had no impact on the airport’s flight operations.
Further information about the nature of the flight was not available this morning, but Barnes identified it as a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke general aviation aircraft that was scheduled to land.
Original article can be found at: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
SAN JOSE (BCN) - One runway is closed at Mineta San Jose International Airport Tuesday morning after a small twin-engine airplane's landing gear collapsed, according to airport officials.
All three people on board were uninjured, according to airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.
Barnes said the incident was reported around 10:30 a.m., when the pilot expressed concerns about the landing gear to air traffic controllers.
When the plane landed a few minutes later, the landing gear collapsed.
"We still have the aircraft on the runway along with our firefighters," Barnes said. "The (Federal Aviation Administration) is still on scene as part of the investigative process."
The runway will remain closed until the FAA authorizes airport personnel to tow the plane, after which the runway can be inspected.
A parallel runway remains open, and Barnes said Tuesday morning's incident has had no impact on the airport's flight operations.
Further information about the nature of the flight was not available, but Barnes identified it as a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke general aviation aircraft that was scheduled to land.
Original article can be found at: http://wn.ktvu.com
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