Emergency crews were parked on the runway - ready for anything - as a small four-seat plane came in for a landing at Sebring Regional Airport Thursday.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., the pilot radioed the airport and reported trouble deploying the landing gear. Radio reports indicated there was only one person on board and the plane was carrying 60 gallons of fuel.
Firefighters, EMS crews and deputies with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the airport in the event they were needed. A crowd of onlookers watched the plane circling overhead before it finally made its descent.
For several tense seconds, the group of more than 30 kept their eyes on the small aircraft as it inched closer to the ground. Since the landing gear never deployed, the pilot opted to land in the grassy area to the right of the runway.
The plane touched down safely, leading to a round of applause from the crowd. Emergency personnel proceeded to the landing site to check on the status of both the pilot and the aircraft.
Mike Willingham, executive director of Sebring Regional Airport, said the pilot, Jon Lowe, of Lowe's Aircraft, was not injured and the plane suffered minimal damage.
"He pretty much made a textbook emergency landing," Willingham said. "It was probably the best outcome that you could hope for."
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