Aircraft collides with a stationary plane during landing at Montana airport, causing a blaze.
In a shocking incident, a single-engine plane carrying four people crashed at the Kalispell City Airport in Montana on Monday. The plane, originating from Pullman, Washington, sustained significant damage upon impact, but remarkably, there were no fatalities.
Two passengers sustained slight injuries and were treated at the airport. Remarkably, all four passengers were able to exit the aircraft on their own after the crash.
The crash occurred during the attempt to land at around 2 p.m. Witnesses reported the plane crash-landed at the end of the runway and careened into another aircraft. The impact of the collision triggered a large fire involving multiple parked aircraft.
Common causes of small planes crashing into parked aircraft in general aviation typically include pilot loss of control during landing or takeoff. In this case, preliminary investigations point to pilot loss of control as the cause, though the detailed root cause is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Factors contributing to such loss of control may be mechanical failure, pilot error, adverse weather conditions, or runway excursions (e.g., overshooting, veering off the runway). A recent incident at Montana’s Kalispell City Airport involved a small single-engine plane losing control while landing, crashing onto the runway, and striking several parked aircraft, which ignited a fire.
Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, who has investigated crashes for both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), was consulted for this article. Guzzetti stated that incidents where planes crash into parked aircraft occur a few times a year in general aviation.
Meanwhile, the NTSB is investigating a crash in Scottsdale, Arizona, which may have been related to prior damage to the landing gear. In a high-profile incident in February, a Learjet veered off a runway in Scottsdale, Arizona, and crashed into a parked Gulfstream, killing one person. However, it's important to note that the Socata TBM 700 turboprop that crashed at the Kalispell City Airport was not involved in the Scottsdale, Arizona incident.
The Socata TBM 700 turboprop involved in the Kalispell crash was built in 2011 and owned by Meter Sky LLC of Pullman. Company representatives for Meter Sky LLC did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.
As the investigation continues, the Kalispell community is left to hope for the swift recovery of the injured passengers and to reflect on the dangers inherent in general aviation.
- Investigations into the crash of a Socata TBM 700 turboprop at the Kalispell City Airport have revealed preliminary findings of pilot loss of control as the cause, though the detailed root cause is still being explored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- The finance industry was affected as the Socata TBM 700 turboprop involved in the crash at the Kalispell City Airport was built in 2011 and owned by Meter Sky LLC of Pullman.
- The recent incidents in aviation, such as the crash at the Kalispell City Airport and the previously reported accident in Scottsdale, Arizona, underscore the need for increased safety measures in the transportation industry, particularly in general aviation, and remind us of the inherent risks associated with aviation.
