Around 1740 hours on November 13, 2007, Airport firefighters were alerted via the 'crash' phone that a small experimental aircraft had just landed, possibly with it's landing gear up. Air Traffic Controllers also reported a large amount of sparks were seen behind the aircraft as it landed. The pilot informed the tower that he would be shutting down and exiting the aircraft where it came to rest.
         Upon arrival, firefighters confirmed the aircraft had made a belly landing and was shut down on the runway. After determining the pilot was the lone occupant and was uninjured, the Rochester FD engine that responded on the initial assignment was placed back in service. A crew from the Gates FD was then requested to respond non-emergency with all available cribbing to assist with the aircraft recovery.
         Using a combination of high and low pressure airbags, the aircraft was lifted to a point that the landing gear could be manually lowered. Rescue 3 was used as a safety vehicle and remained staffed with one firefighter throughout the duration of the incident. At one point during the recovery process, fuel began leaking from the wingtips, and was quickly covered with absorbent. A handline was also stretched to the aircraft from Rescue 3 for added protection of the scene.
         Once the landing gear was lowered and locked into place, the aircraft was turned over to maintenance. After approximately 2-1/2 hours, the aircraft was towed off the runway and all crews were placed back in service. While there were no injuries to anyone involved, the aircraft did suffer a fairly significant amount of damage, primarily to the engine and propeller.