Amphibious plane makes emergency landing at Laconia Airport

LACONIA — A small plane with a crew of two had to make an emergency landing at the Laconia Airport late Monday at 3:58 p.m. During the afternoon flight, the pilots noticed that one of their wheels wasn’t working properly, and radioed to the airport to give notice of an emergency landing. Both occupants of the plane were able to walk away unscathed. 

“It’s an amphibious plane,” said Karen Mitchell, a flight instructor at Sky Bright, “they hadn't been on water since earlier this summer. The wheel didn’t come down and lock.”

The pilot decided to take his chances and shoot for the runway. The craft skidded for approximately 250 feet before coming to a gentle rest.

“It was a great landing,” said local pilot Michael Hogan who witnessed the event, “he did an excellent job.”

Emergency response teams consisting of firefighters, EMS and police roared to the scene, only to find two uninjured men and a virtually undamaged aircraft. Once first responders had assessed the scene, they quietly exited the tarmac and let the airport mechanics get to work.

“A couple of mechanics were able to set the landing gear down,” said Airport manager Marv Emerson. 

Emerson explained that the pilots didn’t want to land on water, because if they did so and took back off, it was likely water on the bottom of the plane would freeze at higher altitude, thus causing even more problems for the airborne pair. The damage to the plane was so negligible, they were able to get FAA clearance and take off before 5 p.m.

Mitchell applauded the pilot’s quick thinking and controlled descent, stating that this is exactly the type of emergency situations that all pilots train for. 

“It was a beautiful day for flying,” said Mitchell, “and a beautiful day to use your training.”