A pilot miraculously survived after his plane broke in half during an emergency landing due to landing gear failure in Poland. Video footage captured the twin-engine turboprop hitting the runway hard, causing the front of the fuselage to sharply dip before bouncing and skidding to a stop, with dust and smoke billowing into the air.
The incident occurred around 11am on June 19 during a test flight for the Antidotum Airshow in Leszno when the landing gear failed to deploy. Despite the crash landing of the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, no fire erupted.
The pilot, who suffered minor injuries, managed to exit the aircraft unaided and was later confirmed to be in good health by paramedics. The airshow proceeded as scheduled, although damage to the runway at Aeroklub Leszczyński airfield limited some aircraft performances.
The OV-10 Bronco, originally designed in the 1960s for light attack and forward air control missions, had around 360 units produced until 1986. Several are still in operation today, with some serving NASA and civilian operators in the US, while others are on display in museums worldwide.
Following the incident, the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Poznań reported that three fire service units were on-site, securing the area and applying firefighting foam around the aircraft as a precaution against potential fuel leaks. The situation is now stabilized, with no threat to individuals present, as authorities undertake an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
