small-plane-crashes-into-parked-aircraft-in-montana

A small aircraft landing at a Montana airport on Monday collided with several parked planes, sparking a large fire but causing no serious injuries, authorities said.

 

The single-engine aircraft, carrying four people, was attempting to land at about 2 p.m. at Kalispell City Airport when the incident occurred, according to Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 

A preliminary investigation indicated that the pilot lost control of the plane, which crashed onto the runway before striking several stationary aircraft, Kalispell police said. The collision ignited fires on multiple planes, and the flames spread to a nearby grassy area before being extinguished, Venezio added.

 

The city-owned airport is located just south of Kalispell, a city of roughly 30,000 residents in northwest Montana. Witnesses reported that the plane crash-landed at the end of the runway before careening into another aircraft, Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said.

 

All four passengers were able to exit the aircraft on their own after it came to a stop. Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated at the airport, Hagen said.

 

Ron Danielson, who manages a nearby inn, said he both heard and saw the crash before plumes of thick, dark smoke filled the area. “It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could,” he recalled.

 

The flight originated in Pullman, Washington, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The FAA identified the aircraft as a Socata TBM 700 turboprop, built in 2011 and owned by Meter Sky LLC of Pullman. Company representatives did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

 

Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the FAA and NTSB, said accidents in which aircraft strike parked planes occur a few times a year in general aviation.

 

In a separate high-profile case in February, a Learjet owned by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil veered off a runway in Scottsdale, Arizona, and collided with a parked Gulfstream jet, killing one person.

 

The NTSB said that the crash may have been linked to previous damage to the landing gear, though the cause has not yet been determined.