Pilot makes emergency landing at Ephrata airport
A wind gust forced the pilot of a Big Bend Community College aircraft to make an emergency landing at the Ephrata Municipal Airport.
EPHRATA - A Big Bend Community College flight instructor was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday at Ephrata Municipal Airport.
The instructor and one student were performing touch-and-go training, landing the aircraft then taking off again, according to Kyle Foreman, director of Campus Safety and Security. Foreman said the pilot successfully landed the aircraft and was attempting to go airborne when a wind gust caused the wing to dip and the landing gear hit the ground. The wind gust caused the aircraft to travel just off the runway. Foreman said the aircraft struck a sign and runway light before coming to a stop.
The landing caused damage to one wing as well as sections of the underside of the front part of the plane. The instructor and one student were in the aircraft at the time of the landing. Foreman reported the two were uninjured.
The aircraft involved is a Beechcraft B-19 fixed wing single-engine four-seater manufactured in 1976 and is registered to BBCC. Foreman said the aircraft is not flyable.
Officials from BBCC were on scene investigating the incident Wednesday afternoon. FAA officials will also investigate.
BBCC offers a commercial pilot program allowing students to earn a commercial or instrument pilot certificate while working toward a college degree. The college has 36 air crafts as part of the Flight and Aviation Maintenance Technology program.
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