Plane crashes upside down in Pierce County

An aircraft crashed late Wednesday morning in the 4200 block of 192nd Street East, about a mile north of Spanaway.

The plane was upside down and two people were trapped inside: a 76-year-old man and a 64-year-old man. But they were conscious, a Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman said.

“When we hear plane crash, we always take it as it’s going to be very serious and a very hard extrication,” said Darrin Shaw of Central Pierce Fire and Rescue. “They actually walked out. It’s incredible.”

Neither had life-threatening injuries. The passenger was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said the plane took off from Shady Acres Airport in Elk Plain. The aircraft lost power, then flipped over during an attempted emergency landing.

The crash did a number to the plane, crunching the wing, breaking the nose, and exposing the engine. Crews lifted the rear of the plane and used extrication tools to get the men out.

The pilot told KIRO 7 he spent a decade building the Vans RV-6. He’s flown his whole life and this was his first crash.

The FAA arrived on scene Wednesday afternoon to begin investigating the crash. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

This is the plane that crashed into a field in Pierce County.

Firefighters tell me the pilot and passenger both walked away from the scene! pic.twitter.com/iJL35f7KkK

— Shelby Miller (@ShelbyKIRO7) October 23, 2019