Belly landing closes two MSP runways

Star Tribune

Last update: November 12, 2009 - 8:30 PM

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Two runways at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were closed for more than four hours after a pilot was forced to make a belly landing with a private plane late Wednesday.

The pilot of a King Air twin-engine turboprop told air traffic controllers about 11 p.m. that the plane's landing gear wasn't operating properly, said airport spokesman Pat Hogan.

He landed the plane successfully and neither the pilot nor copilot, the only people on board, was injured, Hogan said.

Firefighters were standing by, but no fire broke out.

The runways were closed until about 3 a.m. Thursday, but that caused no significant flight delays because traffic is so light at that time of night, Hogan said.

BOB VON STERNBERG

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