A pilot was unharmed after a plane broke in half during an emergency landing due to landing gear failure. Video footage captured the twin-engine turboprop hitting the runway forcefully in Poland, causing the front part of the fuselage to sharply lower. The aircraft then bounced and skidded before coming to a stop, with dust and smoke billowing into the air.
The incident occurred at around 11 am on June 19 when the landing gear malfunctioned during a pre-Antidotum Airshow test flight in Leszno. Thankfully, there was no fire when the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco crash-landed.
Despite sustaining minor injuries, the pilot managed to exit the aircraft on his own and was later confirmed to be in good health by paramedics.
Although the airshow proceeded as scheduled, the Aeroklub Leszczyński airfield runway suffered damage, limiting its usability and preventing some aircraft from performing.
The OV-10 Bronco, designed in the 1960s for counter-insurgency and forward air control missions, had a production run of approximately 360 units between 1965 and 1986. Some are still in operation today, including with NASA and various civilian operators in the United States, while others are displayed in museums worldwide.
The Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Poznań reported that three fire service units were deployed at the site to secure and apply firefighting foam around the aircraft. This precautionary measure aimed to minimize the risk of fire in case of fuel leakage following the emergency landing.
The situation is now deemed safe, and there is no threat to individuals at the airfield. Authorities will investigate the circumstances of the incident to determine the cause.
