There have been at least three close calls with aircraft crashes in the Lawrence area in the past nine months.

On Sept. 20, 2007, a pilot from Salina walked away from a crash landing along Highway 24/40 northwest of Lawrence.

His engine failed on a trip from Abilene to the downtown airport in Kansas City.

On May 28, a pilot with more than 40 years experience had a rough landing but escaped injury at Lawrence Municipal Airport after he forgot to put down his landing gear as he touched down on the runway.

On June 2, a Lawrence flight instructor and student crashed their light-sport aircraft at the Vinland Airport.

The aircraft then struck a mailbox and bounced off a nearby hanger.

The pilot suffered minor injuries.