NTSB releases more details of Rigby plane crash that cut power for thousands of residents
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RIGBY — A federal report of a plane crash that occurred in September in Rigby has released new details of the events leading up to the incident, which resulted in minor injuries and a power outage.
In the National Transportation Safety Board report, filed in April and released last week, the agency discusses its findings on the cause of the crash.
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The report states that the plane, a 1966 Cessna 150F fixed-wing single-engine plane, was being flown by a flight instructor and a student around the Rigby area.
The initial flight began at around 10 a.m. and landed before another takeoff was attempted at 11:30 a.m.
The report says that as the plane began to take off, it struggled to maintain altitude.
A witness interviewed reported seeing the plane’s flaps fully deployed. The report states that the flaps were extended rather than fully retracted.
The NTSB cited the flaps’ position as a contributor to the crash, as it resulted in a degraded ability of the plane to climb.
Due to this, the plane clipped several trees, and its left landing gear struck a power line, which caused it to descend and hit a nearby building near 200 North Yellowstone Highway.
The report lists the plane’s damage as being destroyed.
EastIdahoNews.com previously reported that the plane’s collision with power lines caused an outage affecting more than 2,500 Rocky Mountain Power customers.
The Rigby Police Department responded with the assistance of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, the Central Fire Ambulance District, the Rigby Quick Response Unit and the Idaho Transportation Department.
The report lists one person as having been injured in the crash. After the crash, witnesses helped both men out of the plane, and they were later treated for minor injuries.