Small Plane Flips Over At Jones Riverside Airport

Thursday, March 2nd 2017, 9:44 am

By: Joseph Holloway

No one was injured when a small plane flipped over on the runway at Jones Riverside Airport Thursday morning.

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology said one of their students was out for a flight when the plane landed upside on the south end of a field.

The student made it out of the plane safely and the school said he went to the hospital as a precaution.

Spartan administrators said it was a Cessna 152 flown, and they said the student was the only person on board.

We asked the college why the student was in the plane alone.

"There are certain flights that have to be solo. There's a certain number of hours every student and private pilot has to have to meet the solo requirements," said Chief Aviation Officer, Ryan Goertzen.

The accident shut down the runway for a short time until the Cessna could be moved to the hanger.

Spartan said the FAA is investigating but does not believe there were any maintenance related issues on board.

They're also talking with the student's instructor who was watching nearby.

Goertzen said, "They write, as part of our protocol, obviously a statement. The student writes a statement, instructor writes a statement, the NTSB/FAA will come in and do their investigation process next."

The school said the student was part of a private pilot class there.