Airplane lands safely without landing gear at Lake Tahoe Airport

Submitted by paula on Wed, 06/28/2023 - 7:19pm
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7:45PM UPDATE: A crane has removed the plane from the runway and it is now reopened. About seven gallons of fuel spilled and it has been cleaned up.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A four-passenger Bellanca Super Viking plane had to land at Lake Tahoe airport Wednesday afternoon without the use of its landing gear.

A call came in at South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) at 6:32 p.m. about a pilot unable to get their plane's landing gear down. By the time the first responders made it to the airport, the plane had already landed on its "belly."

According to SLTFR Battalion Chief Karl Koeppen, there were no injuries but the plane was leaking fuel so the runway at Lake Tahoe Airport was closed down. It will remain closed until the fuel is cleaned up.

The fixed-wing single-engine plane is registered in Stateline, Nev.

There are no other details available at this time.