EVERETT, Wash. – One person was killed in a small plane crash at Paine Field in Everett Thursday afternoon.
What we know:
Officials said a small plane crashed in a heavily wooded area west of the main runway at 2:48 p.m.
Emergency crews located the crashed plane about 750 feet from the runway, engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly extinguished by Paine Field Fire Department personnel.
It was initially reported that several people were injured in the crash, but Paine Field officials later said one person had died, the sole occupant of the plane.
The main runway was closed for about an hour after the accident. Three flights departing from Paine Field were delayed and one arriving flight was diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Glasair plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Glasair is an aircraft manufacturer that manufactures small two- and four-seat aircraft.
What they say:
“Upon arrival, a small fire engulfed the plane. It is a small general aviation aircraft. It is manufactured by Glasair. We are sad to report that an occupant on board has died,” said Kristin Banfield, public information officer at the Paine Airport.
Banfield said there were two runways, a larger one and a smaller one. She said the pilot involved in Thursday’s crash was taking off from the larger, main runway.
“All we know at that time is that he was cleared to take off and he was performing that maneuver at that time,” Banfield said.
Rolfe Bergstrom works near Paine Field. He didn’t see the accident but remembers another significant incident involving a plane several years ago that knocked out power to the area.
“It hit a power line or a power pole, I don’t remember which one, there was like a ball of fire,” Bergstrom said. “They fly over and you get real surprises.”
Banfield says it’s been a few years since an accident like this occurred at the airfield.
“As far as serious or fatal accidents go, it’s been six to eight years since we’ve had an incident like that at Paine Field,” Banfield said.
What’s next:
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the cause of the accident.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office will later identify and release the cause of death of the person killed in the plane crash.
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The source : Information in this story comes from reporting by Paine Field, FlightAware and FOX 13 Seattle.
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