2 seriously injured in plane crash near Ocean Shores Airport

Two people were seriously injured after a plane crash near the Ocean Shores Municipal Airport Saturday afternoon.

The Ocean Shores Fire Department (OSFD) was dispatched to the scene of the accident in the area near the airport at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, according to a press release posted on the department's Facebook page.

The ministry reported that arriving crews discovered a single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft in what was described as “a swampy area” between the airport and North Bay, approximately 100 meters from the sidewalk.

Response teams reached the site on foot as emergency vehicles could not access it due to the terrain.

The plane did not catch fire, but “the situation was dynamic due to lack of fuel,” according to the OSFD statement.

2 people were seriously injured in the accident

It was determined that two people were trapped inside the plane. The patient the department removed from the plane first had to be extricated, then “transferred to a Lifeflight helicopter for transport to the hospital.”

The plane's second occupant was trapped by the wing and its removal required crews “to carry out a complicated rescue, including cutting the wing post in several places.” This person was removed from the plane about an hour after the first crews arrived, the ministry said in its statement.

The patient was transferred to a local hospital, but did not require a helicopter.

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OSFD Deputy Chief Mike Mandella was in charge of the scene and praised the crews, the Ocean Shores Police Department (OSPD) and all those who responded to the crowd.

“In 47 years, both as a first responder and chief, this was one of the most impressive calls I have ever been a part of,” Mandella said in the release. “The strong teamwork of our teams, including Mayor Frank Elduen and City Administrator Scott Anderson, was integral to the success of the mission. And that also extends to the police departments and other agencies that responded. They gave everything they could to make the rescue a success and to provide the best possible care to the patients. »

Mandella added that he was impressed by the work his teams did on Saturday.

“For me, as a chief officer, the total satisfaction I have had on the job has been watching my teams at work. They were impeccable. »

This incident will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the OSFD press release added.

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The department's statement concludes by thanking OSPD, Grays Harbor Communications, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management, Grays Harbor Fire District 7 and the Hoquiam Fire Department for their assistance.

Steve Coogan is the editor-in-chief of MyNorthwest. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Steve on Xor send him an email here.