 "Watch: Small plane crashes into parked aircraft at US airport, sparks massive fire")
A small plane crashed into parked aircraft while landing at Montana’s Kalispell City Airport on Monday, sparking a large fire but causing no serious injuries, authorities said.
The single-engine Socata TBM 700 turboprop, carrying four people, was attempting to land around 2 p.m. when the pilot lost control, police said. The aircraft struck several parked planes, igniting multiple fires that spread to a grassy area before being extinguished.
“All four passengers got out on their own,” Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said, adding that two suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane crash-land at the end of the runway before hitting another aircraft. Ron Danielson, who manages a nearby inn, said the impact was unlike anything he’d heard before. “It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could,” he said.
The flight originated in Pullman, Washington, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. FAA records show the plane, built in 2011, is owned by Meter Sky LLC of Pullman.
Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti said such incidents occur a few times a year in general aviation. In February, a Learjet owned by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil veered off a runway in Arizona and hit a parked Gulfstream, killing one person.