About the last place anyone expects a plane to touch down is a construction site in Auburn, but that is where a small aircraft en route from California to Renton ended up last afternoon after losing its second engine, according to authorities. The pilot was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a passenger walked away unhurt. Emergency crews locked down the area as investigators began their work.
Scene and response
Crews with the Valley Regional Fire Authority were dispatched for an "aircraft accident" at a construction site at 400 15th Street Southwest, according to FOX 13 Seattle. Auburn police told the station the plane lost its second engine as it approached the area, forcing the pilot to put the aircraft down in a field at the GSA construction site. The pilot was transported to an area hospital for evaluation, and the passenger was reported uninjured.
Site and investigation
The address cited in initial reports, 400 15th Street Southwest, appears in property records as part of the Auburn 18 Business Park and is associated with federal GSA activity, according to CBRE. The National Transportation Safety Board identifies itself as the federal agency responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents in the United States, and federal investigators routinely review incidents like this, according to the NTSB.
The incident "remains under investigation," Auburn police told FOX 13 Seattle, and authorities have not released additional details about the aircraft or the people involved. This story will be updated as officials share more information.
