Deputies: Flight Instructor Performed 'Amazing Crash Landing'

PUYALLUP, WA — Deputies are calling it "amazing" and "incredible" that a flight instructor managed to crash-land a plummeting plane in the South Hill area without hurting anyone or damaging any property.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the crash all started as some routine training for new pilots: a flight instructor and two student pilots had been practicing touch and go's at Thun Field Saturday evening in a small, single engine aircraft, when something went wrong.

Witnesses say shortly after one of the takeoffs, they heard the plane's engine failing, and it started to dive towards the Emerald Ridge area. Inside the plane, the 22-year-old flight instructor took control from the 15-year-old pilot-in-training who had been operating the airplane, and tried to take it into a controlled dive.

The flight instructor made a distress call, but quickly realized he wouldn't be able to get the failing plane back to Thun Field in time, so he instead decided to take it down at a vacant lot in the Lipoma housing development. Despite the failing engine, he did successfully touch the plane down in the lot, but it was still going far too fast, and ran across the road, hit a curb and eventually crashed into two small trees in the parking lot of the Holy Disciples Catholic Church, near the intersection of 187th and Meridian E.

Despite all that ruckus, no one was hurt. In fact, deputies say the flight instructor managed to avoid hitting any buildings or parked cars, and caused no lasting property damage.