A small plane, carrying four onboard, struck the parked aircraft, upon landing at Montana airport, which sparked fire. According to authorities, it has not caused serious injuries. The incident took place around 2 pm at the Kalispell City Airport, Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio and the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The FAA mentioned a Socata TBM 700 turboprop aircraft collided with an unoccupied plane on the ground. According to Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen, the impact ignited a fire, which spread to nearby grass before being brought under control and said two passengers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
It occurred at a small municipal airport located just south of Kalispell, a northwestern Montana city with a population of approximately 30,000.
“My staff is on site at the plane crash at the Kalispell City Airport. From what we understand, no one was injured, praise God. We will be assisting local authorities and the airport in any way we can as they handle this unfortunate accident,” Representative Ryan Zinke said.
What did witnesses say?
Witnesses stated that the aircraft made a crash landing at the runway’s end and then struck another stationary plane. The aircraft attempting to land caught fire, but the pilot and three passengers were able to exit safely once the plane came to a halt, Hagen said.
Ron Danielson, the manager of a nearby inn, said he saw and heard the crash moments before thick black smoke filled the sky.
“It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could,” he added.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the flight had departed from Pullman, Washington.
FAA records reveal that the aircraft, manufactured in 2011, is registered to Meter Sky LLC, based in Pullman.
Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety consultant and former crash investigator for both the FAA and NTSB, noted that accidents involving aircraft colliding with parked planes occur several times a year in the general aviation sector.
(With inputs from AP)