Passengers escaped with their lives after a plane crashed at the Tri-Cities Airport this morning and then erupted into flames.
The small privately-owned jet was carrying surgical technicians and a registered nurse for the Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute, based in Chehalis, when the landing gear failed just after 7 a.m.
The plane, a Citation line Cessna Passenger Jet, skidded its way down the airport’s primary runway on its belly starting a fire, said Ben Shearer, the public information officer for the Pasco Fire Department.
Firefighters didn’t have any prior warning that the plane was having problems, so they weren’t able to position units around the airport like they would normally do when a plane has problems, Shearer said.
The pilot along with the surgical technicians were able to escape ahead of the swiftly moving fire.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze, but once a plane catches on fire it burns fast, Shearer said.
The fire department does have two people on duty at a fire station next to the airport 24-hours a day, Shearer said. They were able to arrive quickly.
“This is the first time in the 30 years that we’ve been out here that we’ve had this type of incident,” Shearer said.
The last time the Tri-Cities Airport saw this level of a crash came 33 years ago when a plane crashed just short of the airport killing everyone on board.
Pasco firefighters go through regular practice preparing for these kinds of emergencies, Shearer said. This includes practicing with different aircraft.
Tuesday’s crash came the day before a Federal Aviation Administration-mandated drill to practice how to respond to a plane crash.
The airport terminal is open, and as of 10 a.m., the airfield has been reopened.
The jet is one of three operated by the Pacific Cataract Laser Institute, said Kris Gamboa, the site manager for the Kennewick location. It was carrying staff from the company’s headquarters in Chehalis to the Tri-Cities before picking up a doctor and flying to Lewiston.
The company has 17 sites spread across the Northwest, and share doctors and other staff.
