Small plane belly lands at airport

The Air Force and federal investigators are probing a Saturday incident that closed a runway at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Officials say a single-engine Cessna hit the runway with its landing gear retracted and skidded to a stop. The pilot, who sources said may have forgotten to deploy the gear, was unhurt. The pilot, who officials did not name, was the only person aboard the plane, said John McGinely, airport spokesman.

The plane was heavily damaged.

Firefighters were called the runway just after 2:20 p.m. as the plane, a Cessna Skylane, skidded over the concrete. The plane’s propeller slammed into runway, and the belly of the aircraft dragged sparks. The plane, though, did not catch fire.

The incident happened on a runway that wasn’t being used by commercial planes, so flights at the airport were not delayed. The runways at the airport are shared with neighboring Peterson Air Force Base.

The pilot had rented the Cessna from the Peterson Air Force Base Aero Club, McGinely said. In a news release, Peterson Air Force Base said the pilot landed with “an abnormal landing gear configuration on the airport’s runway 35-Right.”

“The 21st Space Wing’s Safety Office is conducting an investigation in concert with National Transportation Safety Board requirements,” the Air Force said.

The plane was hauled to a hangar, where investigators will examine it for evidence of what caused the belly-landing.

Peterson’s Aero Club is a recreation program run by the base that offers low-cost flight opportunities to military members and retirees. The Cessna that made the belly-landing and several like it are in frequent use at the airport as part of the program.