A small aircraft attempting to land at Kalispell City Airport in Montana crashed into several parked planes, triggering a massive fire and plumes of black smoke, but miraculously resulted in no serious injuries, authorities confirmed Monday.
The single-engine Socata TBM 700 turboprop, carrying four people, was landing around 2 p.m. when the pilot lost control, veered off the runway, and slammed into parked aircraft, according to Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The collision caused a fire that engulfed multiple planes and spread to a nearby grassy area before being extinguished.
Witnesses described the crash as loud and sudden. “It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could,” said Ron Danielson, who manages an inn near the airport.
Despite the violent impact, all passengers exited the aircraft on their own. Two suffered minor injuries and were treated on-site, said Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen.
The plane had departed from Pullman, Washington, and was owned by Meter Sky LLC, according to FAA records. The company has not yet issued a statement.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti, a former FAA and NTSB investigator, noted that while rare, such collisions between landing planes and parked aircraft do occur several times a year in general aviation.
This incident comes months after a similar high-profile crash in February, when a Learjet owned by Motley Crue’s Vince Neil collided with a parked Gulfstream jet in Arizona, resulting in one fatality.
Kalispell City Airport, a small city-owned facility serving the area of approximately 30,000 residents, has been temporarily closed as investigations continue.

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