A twin-engine Piper Seminole bellied onto the runway at Mesa-Gateway Airport on Saturday afternoon after its crew ran into trouble with the landing gear, grinding to a stop without catching fire and without hurting anyone aboard. Both people inside the aircraft climbed out on their own power once it came to rest.
Mesa Fire and Medical Department crews were dispatched to the aircraft at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to FOX 10 Phoenix, which reported that the Piper Seminole had completed a gear-up landing before crash-landing at the airport. The outlet noted that it remains unclear exactly what landing gear issue the aircraft and its occupants experienced.
No Injuries, No Fuel Leak Found
Firefighters checked the wreckage for fuel leaks during their initial search and found none visible, the report said. There were no reported injuries among the two people on board, and the aircraft was ultimately shut down safely at the scene. Responders have not released the identities of either occupant.
Fox 10's reporting, which the outlet says was gathered from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, did not specify what led to the gear malfunction or whether investigators were examining the aircraft further. Those remain open questions following Saturday's incident.
Not The First Rough Landing At A Valley Airport
Gear-related landing trouble has turned up at other Arizona airfields in recent memory. A small plane blew out its tires during a hard landing at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa in April, according to azfamily.com, which reported that both occupants of that aircraft were okay. A separate belly landing was reported at Tucson International Airport in April 2025, per kold.com.
Saturday's crash-landing adds to a string of similar incidents across the region, though the cause behind this latest one at Mesa-Gateway has not been disclosed. For now, the only confirmed details are the ones relayed by fire officials: two people walked away, the plane was secured, and no fuel spilled onto the tarmac.
