Jackson pilot: Emergency landing in Columbia, Mo., left no time to panic

As Phil Penzel neared the airport in Columbia, Mo., he pushed the landing gear level down and started descending toward the runway, keeping his eye on the landing lock indicator light.

The green light was not illuminated, so he pushed down the landing gear lever again.

And again.

The green light never turned on.

On Wednesday, Penzel was forced to land his aircraft without the right-side landing gear. Penzel safely landed without injuries.

"Reflecting back now, something serious could've happened," Penzel said. "But I didn't have time to panic. It's amazing how your thought process does a million things in split seconds."

Penzel first noticed something was wrong with his aircraft around 1 p.m. when he was about three miles from the airport.

"I told the tower that I was having gear trouble and then did a low pass flyby for inspection," Penzel said. "While doing so, the tower indicated that everything appeared normal."

He could hear the pump running, and the green light was still not on, but Penzel decided to try to land without the right side brakes locked.

"When you are flying, you have to split time dealing with the emergency and keeping the plane flying," Penzel said. "I was doing a million things at once."

Personnel at the control tower alerted emergency vehicles and prepared for emergency landing. Penzel said he had to deal with the situation somehow.

"I thought, 'Let's give it a shot and see if we have luck,' and I guess ultimately we were very lucky," Penzel said.

When he touched down, the airplane, which had two wheels to balance on instead of three, tilted sharply to the right, Penzel said, making it hard to steer.

The right landing gear did not lock in, so upon touchdown it folded back," Penzel said. "It flung back to a normal position for when the plane is in the air, and caused my right wing to dip down."

He maneuvered the plane toward the right side of the runway and directed the right wing to skid across the grass instead of pavement to avoid creating sparks and possibly a fire.

"I came up with that in the moment," Penzel said about running the wing through the grass. "I guess that right there was probably more instinct than anything."

Evading elevated runway lights and other obstacles, Penzel focused on keeping the plane's nose high to slow down and protect the engine.

"I was able to dodge things and keep the wing off the pavement," Penzel said. "Then came a sign. I did everything possible to avoid hitting the sign. It was the only thing I hit."

Penzel said the sign nicked his back wing and spun the plane around until it came to a full stop. He quickly exited the plane and ran. Within 15 seconds the emergency response team was on the scene and secured the aircraft.

In good shape

Penzel was relieved when he walked around the plane to see the damage.

"Damage was minor," Penzel said. "I will have to have the right side of the tail section replaced and a tip of the main right wing. I think other than repairs to the landing gear that it's in good shape."

The Federal Aviation Administration has the plane and is inspecting the landing gear. Penzel said FAA officials applauded him on a successful emergency landing.

"I've replayed the scenario 1,000 times over, and I would do all the same things that I did," Penzel said. "When you're flying, you can never panic. You panic and your ability to think clearly is gone and you have to adjust for each situation as it changes. I was mad that it happened, but I stayed calm."

Penzel, the president of Penzel Construction in Jackson, was flying alone on a business trip. He said he hopes the FAA will release the plane soon because he is ready to fly again.

"I'd go back up today," he said.

rpayne@semissourian.com

388-3644

Pertinent Address:

Columbia Regional Airport, Columbia, MO