Small Plane Makes Hard Landing At Hanscom Field In Bedford

BEDFORD (CBS) -- A small plane made a hard landing Saturday at Hanscom Field in Bedford with its gears in the stowed position, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Beechcraft BE36 took off from Minute Man Airfield in Stow before making the landing at Hanscom around 4:20 p.m.

Witness Joseph Connolly told WBZ-TV's Chantee Lans the pilot "went by, pancaked into Runway 5 and made a skidding stop." He said the doors opened and people got out of the plane and walked to the grass.

Connolly told WBZ the pilot must have either forgotten to put its gears down or there was a mechanical failure.

He says the plane flew over him and he tried to alert the pilot that his gears weren't down by waving his arms in the air, but "he probably thought I was some crazy guy at the end of the runway."

He said there was another plane coming in behind the Beechcraft but authorities waved it off.

No one was hurt, says Concord Fire officials who also were called to the scene. It's unclear how many people were on board at the time of the landing.

The FAA says the incident remains under investigation.