RANTOUL — Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are scheduled to visit the Rantoul airport Monday to investigate the crash landing of a plane on one of the runways late Saturday morning.

Airport Manager Bill Clayton said that both the pilot and his passenger, whose names have not yet been released, were checked by paramedics at the scene. Neither one was reported injured.

Clayton said the pilot was the owner of a Piper Arrow plane who keeps the plane in one of the hangars at the airport.

According to Clayton, the pilot had taken the plane out for a local flight to go sightseeing in the area and was preparing to land on the airport's east-west runway when the mishap occurred at 10:55 a.m. Saturday.

"It was some kind of landing-gear problem," Clayton said. "The plane has three wheels, and the nose wheel gave way. When he touched the ground, it appears that the front wheel collapsed inward, and it caused the rear landing gear to also collapse inward. The plane slid on its belly down the middle of the runway, and it screeched to a halt and landed on the edge of the right (north) side of the runway. When we got to it, the plane was flat on its belly."

Clayton said the plane also destroyed one of the runway lights during the landing.

According to Clayton, the Piper Arrow was significantly damaged, with the propeller blade bent backwards, the wings settled on the ground and the blades shot.

Clayton said the plane's engine will need to be overhauled, work may be needed on the landing mechanism, and there may be possible structural damage to the plane.

The Rantoul police, fire and aviation departments and Pro Ambulance responded to the incident, Clayton said.