One person died in a small-plane crash Thursday afternoon at Paine Field Airport in Snohomish County.
The plane was taking off from the airport’s main runway when it crashed in a wooded area west of the runway shortly before 3 p.m., according to Paine Field spokesperson Kristin Banfield. First responders found the aircraft engulfed in a small fire.
The pilot died on the scene.
There was no information on where the pilot was headed, and staff at the airport had cleared the plane for takeoff with no indication of a malfunction or issues with the aircraft that could have caused the crash, Banfield said at 6 p.m.
The plane was a Glasair, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate.
Banfield said the airport’s main runway remained open.
The airport's main runway was closed for about an hour while emergency personnel responded to the crash. A Horizon Air flight from Las Vegas en route to Paine Field was diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to Alaska Airlines. An Alaska flight to Phoenix was delayed an hour.
Glasair planes are small, home-built aircraft manufactured by Glasair Aviation, a Chinese conglomerate-owned business based in Arlington.
There have been four other fatal crashes in the U.S. involving Glasair planes since 2020, according to the NTSB. Accident reports have cited engine failures, fuel issues and unfavorable weather conditions as reasons for the crashes.
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