Possible landing gear malfunction forces plane to land on belly at Monroe Regional Airport

On Wednesday, first responders responded to a crash landing at the Monroe Regional Airport. Monroe Fire Department says the pilot was forced to land his plane without landing gear after experiencing mechanical problems in the air.

Officials tell KNOE the pilot was unaware his landing gear did not descend properly, causing it to land on its belly, damaging the front portion of the aircraft.

Workers say the pilot was the only person on the single-engine plane. He was able to walk away without any injuries.The runway was closed until the aircraft could be removed and all debris was cleared. It has since been re-opened.

KNOE does not have any word on what caused the plan to malfunction. We will update this story when more information becomes available.