Spanish Fork Municipal Airport Woodhouse Field (KSPK) became the backdrop of a dramatic scenario when a burning single-engine aircraft made an emergency landing on December 21, 2023.
The Spanish Fork city publication reported that the aircraft, a DA40 Diamond Star, experienced an engine fire at approximately 10,000 feet in the air over Utah Lake.
Spanish Fork Fire & EMS was dispatched to the Spanish Fork Airport at approximately 16:43 local time.
Spanish Fork Police, Fire & EMS also announced that both occupants of the aircraft managed to escape safely and that no injuries were reported.
According to Spanish Fork City, the cause of the fire is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). However, the city press also said that the pilot heard a bang during flight and that smoke filled the cockpit.
After a mayday call and a series of mid-air s-turns, smoke was cleared from the cockpit and the pilot was able to land the aircraft safely on the runway.
Photos and video footage taken from the scene have been uploaded and shared on social media X (formerly Twitter).
Videos show the aircraft on the runway, still engulfed in flames, as fire trucks rush to extinguish the fire.
Emergency crews were able to control the fire and it was extinguished within 25 minutes of the units’ arrival.
The aircraft is reported to be a complete wreck, with damages valued at approximately $300,000.
