A Jet's Watery Landing in Oregon

A small jet had a rough landing in North Bend, Oregon. It slid off the runway and ended up in the water. This happened early Monday morning. The plane was a HA-420, made by Honda. It was flying from St. George, Utah, to the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport. The incident happened around 6 a. m. local time. The jet came to a stop about 100 feet past the end of the runway. All five people on board, including the pilot, were hurt. Luckily, their injuries were minor. They were taken to a local hospital by ambulance. The airport released a statement with these details. The plane was guided to land using radio signals. However, the pilot did not confirm they were on the ground. This is unusual. The airport did not have a staffed control tower at that time. So, controllers from elsewhere called the airport to check if the plane had landed. The conversation between the air traffic control center and an airport worker was captured. The controller wanted to make sure the plane was safe. The worker replied that the plane had not arrived yet. They had heard the plane on the radio earlier but did not see it on the ramp. The airport reopened around 10:30 a. m. The plane was removed from the water by a salvage company. This incident is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. They will look into what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. This event raises questions about safety protocols and communication during landings. It is crucial for pilots and control towers to have clear and timely communication. This ensures the safety of everyone on board and on the ground. The investigation will likely focus on why the pilot did not confirm the landing. It will also look into the airport's procedures for handling such situations.