COSTA MESA : Emergency Landing Closes Runway
The pilot of a single-engine airplane with a landing gear problem made an emergency landing at John Wayne Airport on Sunday, causing a one-hour closure at the airport’s longest runway and delaying several commercial flights, officials said.
The airplane touched down about 4:45 p.m. on John Wayne’s right-hand runway, which is the airport’s longest and is used mostly by bigger, commercial aircraft, Sheriff’s Department Lt. Lawrence Abbott said.
Abbott said the airplane had to be removed from the runway by a crane, causing the big runway to be shut down for about an hour.
The pilot, who was not identified, was not injured.
Several airline representatives said no flights had to be diverted to other airports, but the closure caused numerous delays.
A spokeswoman at American Airlines said the closure caused 30-minute delays on two American Airlines flights, to San Jose and Dallas.
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