A routine island flight ended in a dramatic runway slide when a small commuter aircraft touched down without its landing gear deployed, grinding along the runway before coming to a stop.
On Mar 19th 2026, a Pineapple Air Beechcraft 1900C, registration C6-KRC, operating flight PNP-978 from Nassau to Governor’s Harbour, approached runway 15 for landing when the incident occurred.
The aircraft touched down on its belly rather than its landing gear, immediately producing loud scraping and screeching noises as the fuselage and propellers made contact with the runway surface. The aircraft slid along the runway before eventually coming to a stop.
Passengers later described the flight as uneventful until the final moments. One passenger recalled hearing a loud “pop” just before touchdown, followed by the intense grinding sounds during the landing roll. There had been no prior announcement indicating an issue before landing. It was only after evacuating the aircraft that passengers realized the aircraft had performed a gear-up landing, with visible smoke rising and propeller damage evident.
Despite the severity of the event, all 19 people on board escaped without injury. However, the aircraft sustained substantial damage, particularly to its underside and propeller systems.
Gear-up landings, while rare, can occur due to mechanical malfunctions or human factors and often result in significant aircraft damage. In this case, the safe evacuation of all occupants highlights the resilience of the aircraft structure and the importance of emergency preparedness, even when events unfold without warning.