Questions After Rough Landing

A 1988 Beechcraft Bonanza flying from Caldwell, N.J., made a rough landing last Thursday morning at East Hampton Airport when its landing gear did not deploy.

Andrew Harris, the pilot and owner of the plane, successfully landed it on its belly. Neither he nor a passenger, his wife, Patricia Harris, was injured. The plane was removed from the runway.

A Federal Aviation Administration official has interviewed Mr. Harris.

The incident caused concern among local emergency responders, who were not notified, which is standard protocol in such a situation, said Gerry Turza, first assistant chief of the East Hampton Fire Department. "I checked with the East Hampton Town police, and they were never notified either," he said. It appears that police did not learn of the rough landing until a couple of hours after it happened.

Chief Turza called East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, who took action later that day. "We have informed the airport management that protocol has to be followed at all times," he said Wednesday. "We expect that to be the case, going forward." The fire department has equipment on hand to deal with emergencies, he said, "but they need time to get from wherever they are in the community. Notification is critical."

The airport manager, Jemille Charlton, was not available for comment on Wednesday.