One person is injured after a small plane flipped while landing at the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport on Wednesday.
Airport Director Christopher Beckman tells us the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m.
“The pilot is safe and sound,” Beckman said. “He’s getting checked out with the local authorities. They all responded very quickly and did great, and I appreciate them and their efforts. It just came in with high winds, and it was just too much for the plane, and it just flipped it over. So it just ended up upside down on the runway.”
Beckman said the Canadian plane wasn’t scheduled to land there. The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, the Benton Township Fire Department, the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety, and Medic 1 Ambulance all responded to the scene.
“They all responded very quickly, and I’m very appreciative of them, and I know the pilot community is as well because that was a very fast response,” Beckman said. “I believe that’s probably one of the first response they’ve had to do in years here, luckily, and hopefully — knock on wood — it stays that way.“
The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety says first responders arrived to find the small single-engine “bush style” plane upside down with both occupants already out. Fire crews used foam on the wings, which showed damage and contained the fuel tanks.
Medic 1 Ambulance transported one patient to the hospital with head lacerations.
The department says while it was on scene, a second aircraft experienced a minor in-flight emergency and units stood by to ensure its safe landing.
The main runway at the airport remained closed as of 11 a.m. while the crossway runway was open. A crane was on its way to flip the plane back over.
The airport tells us it recorded a wind gust of 44 knots on Wednesday morning.
Photo from the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety.
