GARDNER, Kan. (KCTV) – A mechanical failure has been blamed for a crash between a bi-engine plane and the roof of a hangar, which injured both the pilot and a passenger inside.
Johnson County officials confirmed that around 1:20 p.m. on June 16, a twin-engine King Air crashed on top of a Butler Avionics hangar at New Century AirCenter outside Gardner, Kansas.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said the Beech aircraft had been flying south when a mechanical malfunction caused the left engine of the bi-engine plane to become inoperable. Leslie Gordon, the 73-year-old pilot of the craft from Lee’s Summit, lost control of the plane as it turned to the left and crashed into the hangar.
State Troopers indicated that Leslie and his passenger, Delaney Rindal, 30, of Wasilla, Arkansas, were both taken to Overland Park Regional Health Center with non-life-threatening injuries. They were both wearing safety restraints at the time of the crash.
Nobody inside the hangar was injured as a result. It was evacuated, and operations have continued as normal throughout the rest of the airport.
As of 5 p.m., the plane was still perched on the roof with a heavy first responder presence on the ground below.
No injuries were reported inside the hangar, and those inside were safely evacuated. “Anytime the call goes out that a plane goes into a hangar building, it stings a bit,” said Bryan Johnson, executive director of the Johnson County Airport Commission. “But again that’s why you’ve got professionals to address the immediate needs of those on the aircraft and make sure everyone’s safe on the ground too.”
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated. KCTV5 has a crew on the way.