A former Peachtree City councilman

and head of one of Fayette County's largest development firms escaped

injury when a small plane disabled with a landing gear problem landed

safely at Falcon Field Thursday afternoon.

Jim Pace, who is head of Group

VI Corp. and served one term on the council during the 1990s, was a passenger

on the twin-engine craft bound for Florida. The plane, owned and piloted

coming to a stop. Seconds later, Barber and his three passengers Pace,

Rick Cramer and James Tomlinson, all from Group VI scrambled away from

the Cessna 310.

None of the four occupants

of the plane were injured.

"It was very easily handled,"

Barber said minutes after the smooth landing. "Not a big deal."

Barber, who has flown for over

14 years and is also an air traffic controller at the Atlanta Tracon in

Peachtree City, said the passengers were calm as he warned them what to

expect when the plane landed. Smoke filled the cockpit as he predicted,

but not from a fire from the friction created as the plane skidded on

the runway.

The wind also cooperated during

the decent, Barber added.

The plane was originally headed

to Destin, Fla., but as they neared the airport it was discovered that

the right landing gear would not deploy. Barber decided to head