Capital Region Pilot Thwarts Crash landing in Schenectady

Driving a car is already enough stress for me, I couldn't imagine having to fly a plane. Heck, I even avoid the skies in games like Grand Theft Auto, where you can fly virtual planes with no worries.

Pilots are some of our best and brightest, and on occasion, they have to have the quickest instincts of anyone on earth...

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Plane Crash in Schenectady

At around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12th, disaster struck in the air. A small passenger plane was experiencing problems with their landing gear as they approached Schenectady County Airport. This is, obviously, not good, and the pilot had to think quickly to avoid a tragic crash on the tarmac.

The pilot states that the landing gear had lowered, but did not finish going down before he hit the ground. The gear buckled the second he made contact, and he had to perform what is known as a "Belly Landing", using the bottom of the plane to slow his acceleration.

Disaster Averted

At 6:32 p.m., the Thomas Corners Fire Department arrived on the scene with Mutual Aid services. To their shock, the pilot simply stepped out of the plane, and walked away completely unharmed. He was found shortly after, and evaluated by the crews on site.

The plane sustained minor damage to the propeller and undercarriage, but aside from that, no real issues were found. The runway the incident took place on will be closed for the near future to repair any damage, but the rest of the airport will operate as normal.