A small aircraft carrying four people on board hit a parked aircraft on Monday while landing at Montana’s Kalispell City Airport, causing a fire. According to latest reports, authorities have said that noone was seriously hurt. The incident happened around 2 pm, according to Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA said that the plane, a Socata TBM 700 turboprop, crashed into an empty aircraft on the ground. Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said the crash sparked a fire that spread to nearby grass before being put out. Several other aircraft on the runway were also struck, though no fatalities were reported

What happened?

The Kalispell police has said that as per a preliminary report, when the pilot lost control, the plane crashed onto the runway, hitting parked planes causing fire, reported Associated Press. However, there is no information on why the pilot could have lost control. The main reason behind the crash is still not out.

Furthermore, the Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen revealed that the passengers were able to get out on their own after the plane came to a halt. Only two people were slightly injured and were given treatment at the Montana airport, he added. Citing another witness account, AP reported, Ron Danielson, an inn owner nearby, claimed that the crash sounded as if someone “were to stick their head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it” with great force. Two passengers had minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Kalispell is a city in northwestern Montana with about 30,000 residents.

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Local administration responds

Congressman Ryan Zinke from Montana shared on his social media that this staff was on site and confirmed that no one was injured. He ensured the assistance of the local authorities.

As per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the plane that crashed was identified as a Socata TBM 700 turboprop and is owned by Meter Sky LLC. Jegg Guzzeti, an aviation safety consultant and former investigator with the FAA revealed that similar aviation accidents occur several times a year. However, earlier this year, in February, a Learjet careened off a runway in Arizona and crashed into a parked aircraft, killing one person.

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With the investigation underway, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suspected a landing gear malfunction at the preliminary stage. But, an official report is yet to be released.