A Cessna 750 Citation X owned by Bald 3 LLC opb Hera Flight with Registration N119RM, made a belly landing at Page Field in Fort Myers on Saturday morning, forcing other pilots to divert and attracting onlookers to the observation area.
Elvis Gonzalez, a pilot, said he was in the air when he was told to change his landing location.
“Well, we were coming back from the south. And as we get ready to land, they told us there was an emergency and we couldn’t land. So we had to keep flying to the north,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez, who was at the scene with fellow pilot Daniel Gonzalez, said it was the first time he had seen a belly landing involving a large aircraft.
“The first time that I’ve seen something. I mean, I saw one before but it was a small airplane. But something like this big? No, this is the first time,” Gonzalez said.
The port authority said the private Cessna experienced a landing gear issue, which led to the belly landing. This type of landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear extended.
Raymond Kuczera, a Navy veteran who spends his mornings at the observation area, said he saw the landing unfold.
“I’ve seen when the plane evidently hit the ground, it was just flying. And then it would taxi out to go to the terminal. Evidently the landing gear must have collapsed,” Kuczera said.
The port authority confirmed there were two people on board the aircraft. No injuries were reported, and the airport remains open.