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WWII-era plane makes emergency landing in Jacksonville

By Brittney Donovan and Action News Jax
By Brittney Donovan and Action News Jax

A WWII-era plane with seven people on board made an emergency landing in Jacksonville Saturday.

The B-24 Liberator circled the sky above Cecil Airport for almost two hours after its landing gear malfunctioned.

"They were going to fly around, burn off some gas and talk with everyone on the ground and figure out the best thing to do," Luke Graves said.

Jacksonville Fire Rescue crews and vehicles were on standby at the airport as the pilot and another crew member worked to resolve the issue in the air.

A crowd watched from below as the aircraft made an emergency landing just before noon.

The plane and several other aircrafts were on display in Jacksonville as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour.

Graves, his wife Marcia and daughter Heather paid for a 30-minute flight but ended up spending hours in the air.

"I got a little bit weepy because I thought about my dad and all of his adventures," Marcia Graves said, adding that her father flew B-24s during his military career.

She and her family said they were not nervous and had full faith in the pilot.

"Since something went wrong, slightly, it was like a brief experience of what they must have gone through on some of their missions," Heather Graves said.

They said they appreciated the extra time in the air.

A Federal Aviation Authority spokesperson said the agency will investigate what caused the malfunction. No one was injured.

FAA Statement:

"A B-24 Liberator aircraft landed safely at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, today around 11:40 am after the crew reported a problem with the aircraft landing gear and declared an emergency. The plane landed safely on Runway 18L. The FAA will investigate."

Cox Media Group

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