ORLANDO, Fla. — A pilot of a small plane radioed on Saturday that he could not deploy his landing gear, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
The pilot, Robert Pender, texted his family that he loved them and was going to make an emergency landing, according to a release.
The sheriff’s office’s helicopter, along with air traffic controllers, worked with the pilot for more than an hour to help him make a safe landing, officials said.
“I had an emergency light that was on and would not go out,” Pender said.
That’s when Pender radioed air traffic control.
Officials said the sheriff’s office chopper flew alongside the pilot to investigate the problem and to try to help him make some maneuvers to "unstick" the landing gear but to no avail.
Pender and emergency crews on the ground, were ready for anything.
“I sent my wife an email and told her I lived her and I’m about to make an emergency landing,” said Pender.
After an hours of support in the air and on the ground, the pilot made a landing attempt at Orlando Executive Airport.
The chopper’s pilot coordinated with emergency fire and rescue crews to be ready in case the landing failed.
The pilot of the small plane was able to safely land with minimal damage to the plane.
Pender managed to land the plane without the landing gear, but it wasn’t easy, not even for someone with more than three decades of experience at the controls.
“As I lost speed, I couldn’t control it anymore, so that step pulled me off to the right side,” said Pender.
Pender’s daughter wrote to Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies, saying: "While we live out of state and cannot thank them personally, we wanted to make sure that their concern and compassion did not go unnoticed. My father had nothing but praise for the officers that helped him. Please know how much your kindness meant to our family. Thank you for going to my father’s aid and assisting with a safe landing, and God bless each of you and keep you safe.”
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