Two planes collide during 'mishap' on Visalia airport taxiway

Sheyanne N Romero | Visalia Times-Delta

Two planes collided while taxiing Tuesday morning at Visalia Municipal Airport.

The question now is, what happened?

The National Transportation Safety Board was called at 11 a.m. to take a report of a "mishap" at the airport, said Airport Superintendent Katherine Bales.

The two planes were moving down the taxiway when one plane clipped the other plane's wing, according to witnesses. The collision caused fuel to leak out of one of the planes.

The extent of the damage is still being evaluated.

One plane belonged to local car dealer Don Groppetti. The other belonged to local farmers and ranchers, the Ritchie family. It's unclear which pilot was at fault.

The runway was not closed, and the spill was contained about three hours after the collision, Bales said. Fire crews were on scene for several hours cleaning the spill, and half a dozen police officers patrolled the area to keep people at a safe distance.

"There were no injuries reported," Bales said. "Visalia fire and police responded within two minutes of the call."

Bales added that she is proud of her staff's quick response.

Crews used absorbent pads to soak up the fuel, said Visalia Fire Battalion Chief Darrin Hughes. Everyone on the planes had safely evacuated by the time firefighters arrived, he added.

More information will be released once NTSB completes its report, Bales said. A final report could take months.