Private plane lands on its belly at JWA, disrupting flights

A small private plane had to be removed from a runway by a crane after it landed on its belly at John Wayne Airport on Tuesday night, according to an airport official.

The Cessna with two people aboard arrived with its landing gear up and skidded to a halt on the main runway about 9:10 p.m., airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

No one was hurt, but some flights were delayed or diverted because of the incident, Wedge said.

An Orange County Fire Authority crew removed the plane in about an hour. The runway reopened about 10:30 p.m., according to the airport.

Wedge said six flights were diverted to Los Angeles or Ontario during the closure. Six departures were canceled, she said.

A handful of flights were delayed and arrived at John Wayne Airport after its usual 11 p.m. curfew, Wedge said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck