Plane Slides Off The Runway At Butler Co. Airport
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The pilot of a small aircraft was able to walk away from the wreckage of his Twin Cessna 340 after it skidded off the runway and over a steep embankment at the Butler County Airport.
The accident happened shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday.
Airport Manager Roy Uptegraff told KDKA's Kym Gable the pilot started experiencing problems upon takeoff. He made a split second decision to stop the aircraft, but it ended up travelling off the runway and over the hill, nose first.
The pilot wasn't hurt, but fire crews had to be called in because of a potential hazard with leaking fuel.
"We think what happened is the damage opened up one or several of the fuel tanks and it started to leak fuel," said Uptegraff. "The Penn Township Fire Department is at the other end of the airport. So, they quickly responded and flushed the airplane with water."
The Federal Aviation Administration will begin its investigation Tuesday morning.
FAA representatives are expected to be on-site for much of the day.
Uptegraff says it's been several years since an accident has happened at the airfield.
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