The Pilot Who Landed Without Gear (Credit to @Yarnhub)

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Even when landing gear is retracted, the main wheels still stick out, making emergency landings without the gear extended manageable and less damaging because the slightly exposed tires act as skids.

[00:00:12]An A-10 Thunderbolt pilot named Colonel Harry Iceman Keeling had to land without nose gear. In order to do so, he maintained level flight at 160 knots before slowing down to just above stalling speed, around 120 knots, before flying the aircraft belly first onto the runway at a shallow angle.

[00:00:31]After the landing, maintenance crews simply jacked up the aircraft, performed some sheet metal repairs on the bottom, and remarkably, the aircraft was flying again just 1 week later. The A-10C Thunderbolt represents one of the most successful specialized military aircraft designs in aviation history.

[00:00:51]Born from the harsh lessons of Vietnam and the Cold War threat of massive Soviet tanks, the A-10 has proved its worth in every conflict since the Gulf War.