Landing gear issue forces controlled landing at Coeur d’Alene Airport

An apparent landing gear issue forced a plane to make a controlled landing Sunday afternoon at the Coeur d’Alene Airport, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office and personnel from the Northern Lakes Fire Department and the Coeur d’Alene Airport converged at the site after pilot James T. Ostrich, 62, reported that the front landing gear of his fixed-wing, single-engine plane would not fully extend, according to a Sheriff’s Office release. A fly-by of the airport confirmed the fact.

Ostrich circled the airport to burn off excess fuel, then attempted a controlled landing on a runway, according to the release. Although the front landing gear collapsed, the pilot was able to keep the plane’s nose up long enough to avoid major damage or injury. Ostrich was the aircraft’s only occupant.