A fatal airline crash took place at Kalispell City Airport in Montana, the United States, on Monday afternoon, when a small aircraft collided with a parked plane, causing a tremendous fire. The authorities confirmed that no serious injuries were recorded, although the fire was serious.
Police Chief Jordan Venezio of Kalispell and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday that the accident happened about 2 p.m. when a Socata TBM 700 turboprop, with four people on board, tried to land at the city-owned airport slightly south of the city of Kalispell, in northwest Montana, with a population of around 30,000. The plane smashed into an empty aircraft on the ground, which ignited a fire that spread rapidly to a nearby grassland, only before it was brought under control by firefighters.
Jay Hagen, the chief of the Kalispell fire department, said that the aircraft that landed went up in flames during landing, but the pilot and his three passengers were able to get out on their own when the aircraft stopped. There were two minor injuries, where a passenger was taken to the airport to get treatment. Other aircraft onboard were also affected by the fire.
Witnesses described the tense moments when the turboprop came flying in from the south and skidded off the end of the runway and crashed, watching it collide with the parked airplane. According to Ron Danielson, who runs a local inn, he heard the crash and could, in his turn, witness clouds of black smoke rushing through the scene. The difference between the sound and the catching sight of the flames was, in his judgment, but a few seconds.
The FAA has initiated an investigation into the crash to determine the cause. Although the fire was quickly put out, the scene was characterized by visible damage on the runway and surrounding facilities that acted as a painful reminder of the potential problems that have the capability of erupting in any airport or even small community airports.
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