Kalispell, Montana: A small aircraft carrying four people collided with a stationary plane on the runway at Kalispell City Airport on Monday afternoon, igniting plumes of smoke and a grass fire, authorities confirmed. (Montana Plane Crash)
Officials identified the aircraft as a Socata TBM 700 turboprop. The plane struck an unoccupied parked aircraft while landing, triggering a blaze that spread to nearby grass before firefighters brought it under control. Several other planes on the tarmac sustained damage, but no fatalities were reported.
Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said the four occupants managed to exit the plane without assistance. Two passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. “They were able to walk away, which is remarkable given the circumstances,” Hagen noted.
Preliminary reports suggest the pilot lost control while landing, causing the aircraft to veer into parked planes. The reason for the loss of control remains under investigation.
Local business owner Ron Danielson, who witnessed the crash, described the sound as akin to “sticking your head in a bass drum and someone hitting it hard.” (Montana Plane Crash)
Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke stated his office was coordinating with local responders and confirmed no serious injuries occurred. FAA records list the plane’s owner as Meter Sky LLC.
While such runway collisions are rare, FAA safety consultant and former investigator Jegg Guzzeti noted that similar incidents occur a few times each year. In February, a Learjet accident in Arizona involving a parked plane claimed one life.
