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STORIES FROM SNA : Pilot Makes Remarkable Emergency Landing

STORIES FROM SNA : Pilot Makes Remarkable Emergency Landing

06/05/2021

If you somehow missed the story about Kevin Baughman in the local news, it’s one we thought was well worth re-sharing.

Kevin is one of our valued customers, and what happened to him back in November is nothing short of remarkable. While out piloting his Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, He began the routine process of setting up for approach into John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Only this approach and landing were anything but ordinary.

During the approach, Kevin realized his landing gear would not properly deploy and notified the air traffic controllers. So they cleared the runway, readied emergency vehicles, and Kevin braced for the worst.

But while everyone waited for the worst, Kevin was at his best. In a near textbook landing, he was able to safely skid across the runway with no injuries to the two people on board, and very little damage to the actual plane. In fact, the belly of the aircraft had little more than some serious scrapes, and the propeller needed some repairs. Other than that, the aircraft was completely spared.

After the dust settled from the emergency landing, we asked Kevin how he felt about the experience. He told us, “Well, I kept my head and remained calm which certainly contributed to the successful landing. However, I am happy I check that off my bucket list!”

Kudos to Kevin for an awe-inspiring landing, and to all those at SNA for taking such quick action!