A two-engine plane with two people aboard landed without its landing gear lowered at the Portland International Jetport on Thursday morning, causing a 90-minute shutdown of the airport that affected more than a dozen flights.

The small aircraft came to rest on the runway on its belly at about 10:30 a.m. Fire and emergency personnel surrounded the craft.

A city spokeswoman said no one was injured and there was no fire.

Runways at the jetport were closed for about 90 minutes while crews removed the plane and evaluated the two people on board, who were unharmed. Runways reopened by 12:20 p.m.

More than a dozen flights were either delayed, diverted or canceled, according to the jetport’s website. Arriving flights were diverted to Manchester, New Hampshire, or Boston.

The plane is registered to Air New England LLC of Waterville, a small commercial carrier, according the Federal Aviation Administration’s database. That model, a Beechcraft Baron 58, is a two-engine propeller-driven plane that accommodates up to five passengers and cruises at around 210 mph.

This particular aircraft was first certified as airworthy in 1973, according to the FAA.

A woman who answered the phone at Air New England declined to offer comment and said questions were being referred to company executives.

The cause of the incident wasn’t clear Thursday. Jetport Director Paul Bradbury said an FAA office, the Flight Standards District Office, will interview the pilot to determine what happened.


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