A routine landing at Kalispell City Airport turned into a fireball Monday afternoon when a small aircraft collided with another plane parked on the taxiway. Against all odds, the pilot and three passengers survived with only minor injuries.
Kalispell Fire Department Chief Jay Hagen said that crews raced to the scene just after 2 p.m. following reports of the crash.
An investigation found that the incoming aircraft struck the parked plane during landing, igniting both into a wall of flames.
“The three passengers and pilot on board the plane that crashed were able to get out of the aircraft with minor injuries,” Hagen confirmed.
Flames Consume Both Aircraft
Witnesses described an explosive scene as fire engulfed the wreckage. Cellphone video shows thick black smoke pouring into the Montana sky while flames tear across the taxiway.
In one clip, a bystander can be heard saying the plane “hit the ground and bounced up.”
Firefighters from Evergreen, Smith Valley, and Whitefish joined Kalispell crews in battling the blaze, which also spread to nearby grass. Hagen credited the swift mutual-aid response with stopping the fire in its tracks.
The quick mutual-aid response allowed firefighters to smother the blaze with foam within minutes, he said. By 4:30 p.m., all emergency personnel had cleared the scene.
No One in Second Plane, All Victims Released at Scene
Hagen noted that the stationary plane was unoccupied at the time of the crash. All four people from the moving aircraft were treated on-site and released.
Both planes were completely destroyed.
Later footage from the scene shows firefighters extinguishing the last smoldering hot spots, the once-busy pavement now charred and silent.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
