PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County International Airport was closed for nearly two hours after a small plane crash-landed at the airport Sunday morning.
At about 11:20 a.m., a Beech C24R fixed wing single-engine plane crashed at the airport when the landing gear apparently failed, according to Bill Beezley, spokesperson for East Jefferson Fire-Rescue. The pilot, the only person in the aircraft, was uninjured.
The plane is registered to James Patrick Filoteo of Woodinville.
Beezley said when the landing gear failed to deploy, the aircraft hit the ground and slid down the runway before veering off to the side.
He said firefighters who were already on scene because of an unrelated medical airlift heard the plane crash.
As of 1 p.m. crews had used a forklift to finish removing the plane from the runway, and the airport was reopened to normal traffic.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
