Video: Plane crash-lands at Las Vegas airport and catches fire
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There were dramatic scenes at North Las Vegas Airport on Wednesday afternoon when a plane caught fire after a rough landing forced it to skid off the runway.
The two people on board the small plane were very lucky to escape, managing to get out of the cabin before it was consumed by fire, according to todaysthv.com.
Clark County Department of Aviation spokesman Chris Jones said neither the pilot of the twin-engine Piper Aerostar or its passenger were injured, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
North Las Vegas Fire Captain Cedric Williams confirmed a fire crew rushed to the scene, where purple foam was used to put out the flames.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash landing, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.
This is the second time in one week a small plane has crashed at NLV Airport after a single-engine aircraft crashed there on Monday.
According to 8 News Now, in 2007 Forbes magazine rated North Las Vegas Airport the most dangerous in the country, pointing to 63 crashes that resulted in six deaths in a six-year span.
At the time, however, pilots at the NLV Airport and the FAA called the list inaccurate.
See a detailed report about Wednesday's crash from 8 News Now here:
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- Courchevel Airport, France<p> This Alpine airport is home to an extremely short uphill runway (1,722 feet) - and there's a vertical drop at the end. Oh, and then there's the wind, sleet and snow - all of which play havoc with all things airbourne.</p>
- Princess Julianna Airport, St Maarten<p> A gateway airport to many smaller Caribbean islands including St Barts and Anguilla, planes landing at St Maarten Airport provide a great photo opportunity from Maho beach.</p> <p> Skimming over the beach towards the 2,300m runway, this stretch of coastline sees a lot of daily traffic with the airport servicing around about 100,000 flights a year.</p>
- Congonhas Airport, Brazil<p> Located around five miles from the centre of Sao Paulo, Congonhas is one of the busiest airports in Brazil. The proximity to the city centre means it may feel like you're skimming the tops of skyscrapers as you land and take off.</p>
- Toncontin Airport, Honduras<p> Landing at Toncontin Airport is particularly challenging for pilots due to its proximity to the mountains. In 2008 after a tragic plane crash, the airport was closed to international traffic. A major review of airport safety took place and in May 2009 a runway extension was completed. But despite this, it still has one of the shortest international runways in the world.</p>
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- Ice Runway, Antarctica<p> Used mainly by the US Antarctica Program during the summer, this sea-ice runway has to be constructed every year as it melts around December time. Pilots who've landed on the ice say it's much like landing on concrete initially, but when the plane comes to a standstill its wheels sink a into the ice. <a href="http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/06/09/revealed-the-worlds-worst-airlines/" target="_blank"><strong>Don't miss our feature: Revealed! The world's worst airlines!</strong></a></p>
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- Gibraltar Airport<p> One of Gibraltar's busiest roads, Winston Churchill Avenue, crosses directly over the runway for North Front airport. This means that the road can be closed for around two hours a day - mainly servicing planes to and from the UK. A tunnel under the runway is due to be completed in 2012.</p>
