Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Runways reopen at Roanoke airport after private plane has landing gear trouble
A twin-engine private plane en route to Blacksburg from Chesterfield County landed at Roanoke Regional Airport with malfunctioning landing gear this morning, delaying flights in and out of the airport.
Airport spokeswoman Sherry Wallace said the plane landed at 10:15 a.m. The four people aboard the plane, who were not identified, were not injured, she said.
Wallace said the pilot of the twin-engine King Air landed the plane at the intersection of the airport’s two runways, blocking other planes from landing or taking off.
“Once it landed safely, it did have a wheel gear collapse,” Wallace said.
The wreckage was cleared by 1:20 p.m.
Wallace said two arriving flights were affected by the crash. One from Philadelphia diverted to Lynchburg to refuel before completing its trip to Roanoke. The other, a flight from Charlotte, was delayed, too.
Five departures were delayed. In all, airport operations were closed for about three hours.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane, a 1990 turbo-prop Beechcraft, is owned by Cheyenne Ventures LLC out of Midlothian.
Wallace said the National Transportation Safety Board would not investigate the incident.
Airport spokeswoman Sherry Wallace said the plane landed at 10:15 a.m. The four people aboard the plane, who were not identified, were not injured, she said.
Wallace said the pilot of the twin-engine King Air landed the plane at the intersection of the airport’s two runways, blocking other planes from landing or taking off.
“Once it landed safely, it did have a wheel gear collapse,” Wallace said.
The wreckage was cleared by 1:20 p.m.
Wallace said two arriving flights were affected by the crash. One from Philadelphia diverted to Lynchburg to refuel before completing its trip to Roanoke. The other, a flight from Charlotte, was delayed, too.
Five departures were delayed. In all, airport operations were closed for about three hours.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane, a 1990 turbo-prop Beechcraft, is owned by Cheyenne Ventures LLC out of Midlothian.
Wallace said the National Transportation Safety Board would not investigate the incident.
