鈥榃e were afraid it could blow up鈥�: Man helps pull pilot out of plane wreck in Auburn
Jan 17, 2024, 10:02 AM | Updated: 10:17 am
(Photo from Valley Regional Fire)
(Photo from Valley Regional Fire)
A man told 成人X站 7 he helped pull a pilot out of a small plane wreck near a busy road in Auburn.
INVESTIGATION:
A spokesperson for the Auburn Police Department told 成人X站 7 that the plane lost power shortly after taking off from the Auburn Municipal Airport Tuesday morning.
The plane crashed into a chain link fence, connected to Herc Rentals ProSolutions, and near the intersection of Auburn Way North and 40th Street Northeast.
The plane was a single-engine Sonex, according to an official with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
: Auburn police tell me a plane crashed on Auburn Way N. Police say it lost power after takeoff. The pilot tried to return to the airport, but hit a chain link fence. No injuries reported. The pilot was the only person inside the plane. First call came in at 11:33 am.
鈥� Louie Tran (@louie_tran)
Police said the pilot did not suffer any serious injuries.
The first call about the incident came in at 11:33 a.m.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating this incident.
Crews were able to clear the scene at about 2:30 p.m.
MAN PULLED PILOT TO SAFETY:
成人X站 7 spoke with Anatoly Kalchik, who was driving to work on Auburn Way North, on Tuesday morning.
He said the plane was flying towards him right before it crashed.
鈥淚 was shocked. I was shocked.鈥� He added, 鈥淚 was driving the car and saw the plane fly toward me.鈥�
鈥淚 see that he was trying to land on the opposite lane, and he probably seen the cars driving on the road and probably did a sharp turn and fell upside down,鈥� he added.
Kalchik said he rushed over to help the pilot and saw what appeared to be gasoline leaking from the plane.
鈥淲e were afraid it could blow up.鈥� He added, 鈥淚 was kind of afraid it could burst into flames.鈥�
Kalchik said he and four other people pulled the pilot out of the plane wreck where the pilot was able to lie down and recover.
鈥淚 just wanted to make sure he was okay, he鈥檚 not hurt, he鈥檚 still alive,鈥� Kalchik said.
鈥淚 asked him how he feels. He said 鈥榓 little pain in his back.鈥� But otherwise, he was conscious all the time. He was talking. He even walked from the airplane.鈥� He added, 鈥淚鈥檓 just glad he鈥檚 alive. I鈥檓 glad nobody is hurt. He didn鈥檛 hit any cars.鈥�
Kalchik said he believes the pilot took a sharp turn before the crash to avoid hitting drivers on the road.
The plane crashed upside down, with one wing on the ground and the other wing leaning against the chain link fence.
Kalchik said he believes the fence possibly saved his life.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad the plane didn鈥檛 hit the ground upside down because if he would, he would probably break his neck and die,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne wing rested on the ground and another on the fence. That saved his life I believe.鈥�
PEOPLE NEAR THE CRASH:
成人X站 7 also spoke with people who were in the area and saw the aftermath of the crash.
A. Long said she had been cleaning her car at the Brown Bear Car Wash when she heard a loud boom across the street.
She initially thought the sound came from a car crash but looked over and saw a plane.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the tail of an actual plane, so I鈥檓 like this is not a car crash,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd all of a sudden, all of the police, everyone is rushing. Is the person okay? Are they alright? But yeah, when I saw the taillight, it鈥檚 very close to the Brown Bear and everything so I was like that could have been bad for anybody who was a part of it.鈥�
Rameilo Roland, who works in the area, was shocked.
鈥淪hocked and astonished that it even happened,鈥� said Roland. 鈥淭o see it tipped over on its back is ferocious almost.鈥�
He said the crash could have been much worse.
鈥淚t could have hit a bus with a lot of people on it. It could have hit a box truck with me and my coworkers on it. It鈥檚 definitely a tragedy,鈥� he said.
