Montana plane crash: Landing aircraft collides with parked plane at Kalispell City Airport, burns on runway

A small plane crashed into a parked aircraft at Kalispell City Airport in Montana on Monday, resulting in a fire. According to Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred around 2 p.m.

The single-engine plane, a Socata TBM 700 turboprop with four people on board, was landing when it hit an unoccupied plane, the FAA stated.

Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said the plane that was landing caught fire, but the pilot and three passengers exited the plane after it stopped. Two passengers sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the airport, Hagen added. Witnesses reported the plane approached from the south, had a hard landing at the runway's end, and then collided with another aircraft.


Ron Danielson, who manages a nearby inn, described the sound of the crash: "\"It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could.\"" He also saw dark smoke in the area.

The fire spread to a grassy area but was put out, Venezio said. Several aircraft were involved in the incident.

FAA records indicate the plane was built in 2011 and is owned by Meter Sky LLC of Pullman, Washington.

Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti noted that incidents of planes hitting parked aircraft happen a few times a year in general aviation. He cited a February incident where a Learjet owned by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil crashed into a parked Gulfstream in Scottsdale, Arizona, killing one person.

With agency inputs