A small private airplane came in low and scraped onto the runway at St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport yesterday afternoon, landing without its landing gear deployed in what pilots call a belly landing. A local TV crew captured the touchdown on video, and the footage has since circulated online. Officials have not yet released a full account of the plane’s make, registration, how many people were on board, or whether anyone was injured.
Video published by the on-runway skid shows the aircraft touching down at PIE, and the station reports the incident occurred Sunday afternoon. The clip is the first local broadcast footage identified of the landing. In its initial report, WTSP did not include a cause or a full inventory of injuries or damage.
How belly landings happen
A "belly landing," also called a gear-up landing, occurs when an aircraft with retractable gear touches down without the wheels deployed. Causes can include mechanical failure, hydraulic problems, or checklist errors, and pilots are trained to keep the airplane level and manage speed to limit damage and risk. For a primer on causes and typical pilot responses, see Pilot Institute.
Investigations and safety context
The National Transportation Safety Board's records show gear-up landings can result in substantial airframe damage, although outcomes for people on board vary with circumstances. The board and the FAA review incidents like this to determine probable causes and whether safety recommendations are warranted. Examples and analyses of gear-up landings appear in NTSB publications and annual reports; see NTSB.
Airport response
As of Monday morning, the airport's newsroom did not list a press release about the landing. The PIE site carries contact details for media and passenger information and typically posts passenger reports and service notices. Local agencies and the NTSB may release further details as any investigation moves forward.
