Seven OK after jet skids into Croatan Sound
A chartered jet with seven people on board skidded into the Croatan Sound Friday morning while landing in poor weather at the Dare County Regional Airport.
The Cessna Citation flight from Tampa, Fla., was carrying two pilots and five passengers, according to a statement from Dare County.
All were helped out with no serious injuries.
The jet ran out of runway, slid off the edge and plunged into the water at about 8:30 a.m. Conditions were rainy, the statement said.
Airport Manager Robert Benson said that he and four airport staffers rushed to the jet and helped the passengers and crew get out. Nautical charts put the depth of the water at 3 to 5 feet.
A co-pilot had some facial cuts, and others might have had some bumps and bruises, but no one was seriously injured, Benson said.
Five people were taken by Dare County EMS to The Outer Banks Hospital, the county’s statement said.
“The staff was on top of it and is to be commended,” Benson said.
The U.S. Coast Guard checked the scene for hazards and fuel leaks, Dare County spokeswoman Dorothy Toolan said.
Later in the day, the FAA arrived to investigate, and a crane pulled the plane out of the water.
The plane, a Citation 550 built in 1981, is registered to Colnan Inc. in Tampa.
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Loui says:
On a good day, would there have been enough runway for a small jet to land?
Marshallpalooza says:
wow!:O
Aaron says:
That size jet usually has a landing distance of ~2800ft and a takeoff of ~3500ft. The runways are 4300 and 3300ft long. Unless it had especially low traction it should have been able to stop if there weren’t any mechanical problems.