posted September 19, 2007
A small plane made a crash landing at the parking lot of the Brainerd Village Shopping Center around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. The pilot and three passengers on the plane got out safely, though the pilot had a serious head injury. The plane partially careened onto busy Brainerd Road.
One car was knocked on its top by the impact from the plane.
Eyewitnesses said the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air plane was coming in unusually low on its approach to the runway at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport shortly after 8 p.m. The plane continued to drop in elevation and eventually hit a utility pole, which sent the plane cartwheeling into a couple of cars in the parking lot. Both of those cars were unoccupied. A third car traveling on Brainerd Road was also damaged by flying debris, but not as severely.
Several people in the immediate area heard the loud crash and went to investigate.
One of those bystanders was Melissa Davis, who is employed as a medical assistant. Ms. Davis and some other individuals rushed to the crash site and helped the pilot and three passengers out of the plane wreckage. Ms. Davis said all four were conscious and talking, but they were disoriented. The three passengers were able to get out with just a little help, but the pilot needed the help of the good Samaritans to get out.
Those injured from the plane were moved near Hancock's Fabrics at Brainerd Village to await transport by ambulance.
The plane came down near the EPB payment center in the middle of the parking lot at Brainerd Village. The parked SUV that it hit wound up under the craft.
The tail was off the plane and a wing was also knocked off. Fuel was spilled on Brainerd Road and on the shopping center parking lot.
The area around the crash was quickly cordoned off as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
Attorney Robin Flores said he was eating dinner with his wife nearby at the Longhorn Steakhouse when he heard a thump. He said he ran outside and saw the plane lurching onto Brainerd Road and hit the two vehicles. He said the car that was knocked on its top went into a spin before coming to rest.
Attorney Flores said he ran over to the plane along with a woman, Ms. Davis, and a large man in a football jersey.
He said they saw one passenger stumble from the open door on the plane. He said the trio then went onto the plane and found the pilot hunched over near the front controls. He said he had a gaping forehead wound and was bleeding heavily. He said the pilot was coherent, but did not speak as he was helped off the plane.
Attorney Flores said he saw a large amount of beer in a cooler on the plane.
He said he crawled under the plane to inspect the SUV and did not see anyone inside.
Attorney Flores said David Huggins was the first city police officer on the scene.
Erlanger Medical Center officials said they were treating four people injured in the accident. They said late Wednesday night that three of the four were being admitted. One was listed in guarded, but stable condition. The other two were still listed in stable condition. The fourth was still being assessed in the emergency room, but was also stable.
All were transported by ground ambulance.
Authorities evacuated nearby restaurants, including Bud's Sports Bar, the Longhorn Steakhouse and Qdoba Mexican Grill, saying there might be a diesel spill.
Dozens of police vehicles were on the scene as well as fire trucks and several ambulances.
The crash site is just a few thousand feet short of the runway at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.
Mike Landguth, airport president and CEO, said the plane departed from Birmingham at 6:36 p.m. Wednesday. Shortly after 8 p.m., the pilot notified air traffic control that he was having a problem with the aircraft. At 8:18 p.m., Mr. Landguth said the airport was notified of an Alert 3, signifying that a plane had crashed. Mr. Landguth said the airport was shut down for about five minutes until it was determined that the crash occurred off-site from the airport.
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been in contact with local officials about the crash. Mr. Landguth said investigators with the Flight Standards District Office out of Nashville will conduct the investigation, in conjunction with the NTSB. Those investigators are expected to arrived at the crash site around 10 a.m. Thursday.
The plane is registered with Air Amteck of Lexington, Ky. Those on the plane included Amtec of Kentucky owner Ron Turner, president Darren Turner and Louis Mullins, brother-in-law of Ron Turner.
A section of Brainerd Road in front of the shopping center is expected to be closed at least through Thursday morning as investigators document the scene and attempt to figure out what caused the plane to crash.
Chattanooga Police Sgt. Jerri Weary said the 5700 block of Brainerd Road between Greenview Way Drive and Old Mission Road will be closed off to motor vehicles and pedestrian traffic. The traffic will be re-routed around the Eastgate loop away from the crash site. Area residents who normally use Brainerd Road to get to work in the morning are advised to find an alternate route if possible. How long the traffic will be diverted will depend on the speed of the investigation and when clearance is given to move the debris to another location.
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Photograph by Wes Schultz
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