Lakeland Sun 'N Fun Air Show: Nose Gear Collapses On Plane

LAKELAND, FL -- The nose gear of a twin-engine aircraft collapsed upon landing at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport Tuesday causing the plane to skid down the runway.

Lakeland police said the 72-year-0ld pilot from Claxon, Georgia was attempting to land his 1978 Beachcraft Barron aircraft at the 44th annual Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo, which opened Tuesday. The incident happened at 12:11 p.m.

Around the same time as the nose gear incident, an Aero Vodochody L-39 aircraft had two of its tires go flat after landing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which said two people were also on board that aircraft. The L-39 was towed to a maintenance facility.

An FAA spokesman said the agency is investigating both incidents.

"The airplane’s nose gear collapsed, causing it to skid down Runway 27R to a stop," explained Lakeland police with respect to the Beachcraft Barron incident.

In addition to the pilot, identified as John Quinlan, the plane was carrying Quinlan's wife Kathryn. Neither were injured.

The Lakeland Fire Department responded with its Aircraft Rescue Firefighting vehicle and checked for fuel leaks or fire.

"The runway was closed down for approximately 50 minutes as emergency personnel responded to the scene," said Lakeland police. "The airplane was moved to a secure location and FAA personnel responded to the scene for a preliminary investigation."

The air show runs through Saturday. Organizers urged pilots to practice emergency procedures before heading to the show.

"Get current. Don’t make your trip to Sun ‘n Fun be your first time back in your aircraft after winter," event organizers stressed. "Practice landings, emergency procedures, stalls, navigation, etc."