Small plane ends up in ditch at Bellingham airport, but no injuries

A small plane went off the runway at Bellingham International Airport Thursday afternoon, July 28, briefly pausing all commercial flights.

The small, single-engine Cessna was landing when it went into a ditch near the runway just after noon, said Mike Hogan, a Port of Bellingham spokesman. The pilot was not injured in the crash and was the only person on board.

Crews found no leaking fuel or fire on or near the plane, but the plane did have some minor visible damage, Hogan said.

Commercial flights were put on standby while crews worked to remove the plane, Hogan said. But an Alaska Airlines flight landed on a nearby runway while crews worked. Hogan added that officials likely had deemed the area safe enough to land the plane.

A tug vehicle pulled the plane from the ditch at about 1:20 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident, said Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman. There was no information as to the cause, he added.

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Small plane ends up in ditch at Bellingham airport, but no injuries."