I had thought I had heard as well as seen this particular aircraft emergency landing before making it old news. Did a little research to find that this Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker crash landing actually took place on Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 as stated in a published Fox News article...
"...Another P-2V, this one owned by Minden Air Corp. in Minden, Nev., was fighting a wildfire south of Reno on Sunday. Its crash-landing at Minden-Tahoe Airport was captured on video, with the plane dropping to its belly and sliding across the runway. No one was injured...."
There were a few news reports with the release today of a Live Leak video showing some remarkable video footage of the Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker making the crash landing. This emergency landing actually took place Sunday, June 3, 2012.
This is the moment a quick-thinking pilot performed an incredible emergency landing at a Nevada airport.
A Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker belly-flopped to the ground amid a cloud of dust as the pilot frantically brought it down at the Miden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada. Miraculously no one was hurt after failed landing gear forced the extreme measure.
The remarkable footage, posted on Live Leak, begins with the small craft soaring through a cloudless sky. As it prepares for landing other planes can be seen on the tarmac for which it is aiming, as well as people, making the pilot's ability to find a clear place to land all the more remarkable.
Closing in on the runway the plane falters, tipping from side to side, spraying up dirt from the ground below.
Touching down at a particularly jaunty angle the left wing drags as the plane continues to roll along at high speed.
As it slows it curves to the side, covering itself in dust, and leaving the tarmac for dry grass. Only its tail flag, bearing the number '55' can be seen as it finally comes to a halt next to the runway. The dust clears and the stricken plane lies motionless, propellers still churning.
For an agonizingly long time there is no movement from within the cockpit until finally a top hatch opens and a small figure emerges. So far from the camera filming the action, the shape of a man can only just be seen, waving his arms, as help arrives in the form of three people running toward the plane.
They cautiously approach, stepping onto the left hand wing and attending to the pilot, the only person on board the plane.
More people arrive on the scene and the sound of a helicopter overhead can be heard.
Zooming out the camera captures a bright orange chopper poised above the scene of the emergency, ready to assist in rescuing the pilot if necessary.
Ambulances, police cars and fire trucks pull up close to the plane and the pilot is taken to safety, suffering no injuries.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
