by John Dowd
A plane crashed Sunday morning while attempting to taxi at the Stevensville airport, sending the aircraft through several fences and into a pasture before coming to rest back on airport property.
The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. Sunday. According to Stevensville Police Chief John Boe, the plane experienced some type of mechanical issue while the pilot was attempting to taxi.
The pilot told authorities the throttle became stuck, causing the plane to speed out of control. The aircraft did not become airborne before leaving the taxi area and traveling through several fences and a pasture.
The plane eventually came to rest approximately 267 feet northeast of the parallel taxiway, according to Boe.
Two elderly people were aboard the aircraft at the time. Neither suffered serious injuries, although Boe said the two were shaken up following the incident. “They were very fortunate,” Boe said. “They were a little shaken up but everything turned out OK.”
The aircraft, identified as a Cessna Centurion II, was totaled in the crash. The incident also caused property damage that will need to be repaired.
Boe said the two people were preparing to fly back to Reno, Nevada, when the incident occurred.
The airport was shut down immediately following the crash but reopened Sunday afternoon. The airport manager notified the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Safety Board of the incident. An investigation into the crash and the reported mechanical issue is ongoing.
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