Early Monday afternoon, the Alaska State Trooper in Haines noticed a small, seemingly damaged plane on the runway at the Haines airfield. Further investigation revealed that the pilot, Shane Horton of Haines, and passengers were uninjured. Horton was landing a private aircraft when the landing gear buckled, according to a trooper dispatch. The malfunction caused the plane to “ground turn” and resulted in a wing and prop hitting the ground.
Troopers said the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Alaska Department of Transportation were notified, as required. The airfield was closed by for approximately one and half hours while the aircraft was photographed before being removed from the runway.
