BEND, Ore. (AP) - A small private plane carrying six people slid off a runway Tuesday while trying to land in central Oregon.
Gary Judd, manager of the Bend Municipal Airport, told The Bulletin newspaper that nobody was injured and the Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 does not appear to be damaged.
Judd said the plane skidded at the end of the runway and went about 10 yards into a dirt bank. The small airport in Oregon’s high desert had limited operations as it waited for a crane to remove the plane.
“It looks worse than it is,” Judd said. “It’s sitting there with one wing in the air.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the cause of the mishap, but Judd said icy conditions are likely to blame.
Ice formed on many roadways early Tuesday when the temperature dropped to freezing after rain showers.
KTVZ-TV reported that Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers responded to at least a half-dozen crashes and slide-offs by 8:30 a.m., including one in which a vehicle lost control and struck a guardrail on Highway 97 between Bend and Redmond.
There were no reports of serious injuries, and the temperature climbed above freezing by midmorning.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.