State fire plane makes emergency landing in Grand Junction
One of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Multi-Mission Aircraft experienced a mechanical issue Friday evening.
The plane, a Pilatus PC-12, was preparing to land at Grand Junction Regional Airport when an issue with its nose landing gearing was discovered around 6:45 p.m. The plane was returning from a fire detection mission in western Colorado when the incident occurred.
Division of Fire Prevention and Control Multi-Mission Aircraft.
The pilots declared an emergency, which is a standard procedure and a precautionary measure. The plane landed without the nose gear locked into place, however the flight crew was able to perform a controlled landing and stop the plane on the runway.
No injuries were reported.
An investigation into the incident will be conducted following standard Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board protocols.
DFPC has two Multi-Mission Aircraft, which are used for fire detection, mapping, and information gathering in Colorado and across the nation, and can also be used for search and rescue missions.
The planes are based at the Centennial Airport, in the southeast Denver suburbs.
