Kalispell City Airport Manager Says Pilot Error Caused Plane Crash
The pilot and all three passengers evacuated safely before the aircraft caught fire on Monday afternoon
By Maggie Dresser
Officials with Red Eagle Aviation, Inc. speculated that the cause of an aircraft accident on Monday afternoon at the Kalispell City Airport was a result of pilot error when the plane crashed on the runway, striking several other parked aircraft.
“He was too low and slow and that stalled the aircraft causing it to veer off the center line, which caused it to slide into the grass,” said John Noyes, the city airport’s manager who is also the chief pilot and director of operations at Red Eagle Aviation. “It caught fire as soon as it impacted.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will make an official determination of the cause of the wreck. Both the FAA and the NTSB were notified immediately following the accident and are investigating. The wreckage will remain on the northeast aircraft parking apron for the next few days to allow for a thorough investigation.
According to the account of the crash provided by Noyes, the plane skidded onto the adjacent aircraft parking apron, colliding with three parked planes before coming to a stop. The pilot and three passengers aboard the TBM aircraft evacuated safely and reported minor injuries, which were treated on scene, according to authorities.
“They didn’t have more than a second to get out, and they got out in that second,” Noyes said.
The TBM aircraft, which was arriving from Pullman, Wash., along with a homebuilt X300 aircraft caught fire while three other planes that included a Cessna Citation, Cessna 182 and Cherokee sustained varying degrees of damage.
Kalispell Police Department Chief Jordan Venezio confirmed Monday that the incident occurred at 2:08 p.m. on Aug. 11.
In the crash’s aftermath, Noyes said the Red Eagle Aviation team promptly called authorities and responded to the scene with fire extinguishers and other tools to douse the flames, move other aircraft and assist the passengers.
“I am incredibly proud of the heroic actions of our Red Eagle Aviation team … This was truly a remarkable team effort. You see what people are made of when the pressure is on and this is the team you want.”
Kalispell police and fire department officials along with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene within six to eight minutes, Noyes said.
“The response from our local emergency services was outstanding – incredibly fast and professional,” Noyes added. “Their seamless coordination prevented this situation from escalating further. Everyone in our community should appreciate and be incredibly proud of our local emergency responders.”
Noyes said the incident drew widespread media attention while also igniting a high volume of activity on social media, which has led to misinformation about the accident.
“We understand there is a lot of speculation on social media,” Noyes said. “I urge the public to rely on vetted information. Unnecessary anxiety and false claims only distract from reality. This airport has been serving the Kalispell area for 114 years [and] is a sometimes unrecognized and unappreciated gem. The community is lucky to have it.”
Officials remind the public that the Kalispell City Airport is located at 1880 U.S. Highway 93 South and should not be confused with Glacier Park International Airport.
All airport operations have returned to normal, with no impact on commercial or general aviation traffic.
