FAIRBANKS, Alaska – At approximately 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, a Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service contracted Dash Aero Commander 690 aircraft came down on the runway without its landing gear at Ladd Air Field on Fort Wainwright. Neither the pilot nor the passenger was injured.

The aircraft had just taken off and retracted its landing gear without issue, but returned shortly afterward and came down on the runway without the gear extended.  

The Fort Wainwright Fire Department promptly responded to the scene to ensure the safety of those onboard and to contain any potential hazardous materials, including fuel.

Firefighting aircraft were diverted to Fairbanks International Airport while Ladd Air Field was closed for approximately four hours, until the aircraft was safely towed from the runway back to the ramp.

The airplane was enroute to the Bonanza Creek Fire southeast of Fairbanks to conduct a surveillance mission, providing aerial supervision and coordination between air and ground firefighting operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified, and further details will be released pending the outcome of the investigation.

Aviation safety is essential to interagency wildland firefighting operations in Alaska, where aircraft play a critical role in fire response, detection, aerial supervision, and the transport of personnel and supplies. With much of the state’s fire activity occurring in remote areas, aviation provides the access and support needed to protect lives, property, and communities. With hundreds of flights flown in support of recent wildland firefighting efforts, aviation safety remains paramount in achieving the top priority: ensuring the safety of both firefighters and the public.

For more information, contact BLM Alaska Fire Service Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at eipsen@blm.gov or (907)356-5510.

Edited to clarify the distinction that this was not a landing, but occurred while the plane was taking off from Ladd Air Field.

-BLM-

Bureau Of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, 1541 Gaffney Rd, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703

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Learn more at www.blm.gov/AlaskaFireService, and on Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about wildland fire in Alaska, visit akfireinfo.com.

The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska. 

Categories: AK Fire Info