A flight school aircraft made an emergency landing around noon on Friday at Morristown Municipal Airport, coming to rest on its nose.
The pilot and his passenger emerged unharmed, reported Morristown Police Lt. Stuart Greer.
Emergency crews responded from Morristown Airport Fire Rescue and the Morristown, Morris Township and Hanover fire departments.
Police from Morristown and Hanover also came to the scene, along with emergency medical teams from Morristown, Cedar Knolls and Atlantic Health, Greer said.
The response plan was activated when the airport alerted authorities to an emergency. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot had radioed air traffic control with concerns about retraction of the front wheel on his Piper Seminole.
Unsure if the wheel would lock in place properly, the pilot requested an emergency return to the airport, Greer said.
When emergency teams were assembled, the plane landed “but the front wheel did not lock and the aircraft came to rest on the front nose,” the officer reported.
The occupants exited and firefighters sprayed foam around the aircraft to make sure it did not ignite.
Greer identified the pilot as flight instructor James Forrey, 25 of Glen Rock. His passenger was Harrison Martin, 24, of Flemington. The plane is owned by the A.T.P. Flight School, at Morristown Municipal Airport in Hanover.
