A local pilot crash-landed his private plane at the Haines Airport Monday afternoon, temporarily closing the airport and freezing flights.
Resident Shane Horton attempted to land his Stinson 108 fixed wing single-engine aircraft around 12:30 p.m. when the plane collapsed onto one side.
Noreen Price, an aviation accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board in Alaska, said preliminary information indicates the plane had a gear collapse upon landing.
“The structure that supports the aircraft collapsed, meaning it bent. We don’t know why or how,” Price said. “The airplane is supported on the main landing gear, and when it collapses the airplane hits the ground.”
Horton was piloting the plane with three passengers aboard. There were no injuries, Price said.
The plane stayed on the runway, resting on its left wing for more than an hour before troopers could haul the plane away.
Horton said Tuesday he didn’t want to speak with the media until he ironed out details with the insurance company. “It was no big deal,” he said. “I’m not sure what the hell happened.”
According to the FAA aircraft registry, Horton’s Stinson was manufactured in 1947.
NTSB’s Price said the organization’s role is to determine whether an accident occurred, meaning the plane was damaged to the point of requiring major repairs.
“We don’t know that yet because we haven’t seen any of the pictures” or spoken to the pilot, Price said. “Then we determine if it is or is not an accident. If it is, an investigator is assigned and gets entered onto our site and we determine what caused the damage.”
Public affairs representative Allen Kenitzer said the FAA is also investigating the incident.