Montana, Aug 12
A small single-engine plane carrying four people crashed into a parked aircraft while attempting to land at Montana’s Kalispell City Airport, setting off a massive fire but miraculously resulting in no serious injuries, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred on Monday around 2:00 p.m. local time. Preliminary investigations by the Kalispell Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggest that the pilot lost control of the aircraft during landing.
The plane reportedly skidded onto the runway before crashing into multiple parked planes, igniting a fire that quickly spread across the tarmac and into a nearby grassy area.
Flames and thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, rattling the quiet surroundings of the small regional airport. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion-like sound, followed by scenes of chaos as emergency crews rushed to contain the blaze.
"It sounded as if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could," said Ron Danielson, who manages a nearby inn and witnessed the crash.