A Cessna pilot flipped over at the Furnace Creek Airport. (National Park Service)
A pilot who tried to land in Death Valley, Calif., is very lucky the national park didn’t live up to its name during a recent incident.
On Friday morning, the pilot, who has not been named by authorities, was trying to land his small Cessna airplane at the Furnace Creek Airport when his aircraft overran the runway and ended up tumbling over in the dirt.
The incident took place at 9:20 a.m., according to a press release from the National Park Service.
The pilot was reportedly uninjured during the accident. The NPS also confirmed that they dispatched emergency crews to recover the man from his overturned aircraft.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
(National Park Service)
As a result of the incident, Furnace Creek Airport has temporarily closed Runway 15 — where the accident took place — until further notice. A representative for the park also said he believed the wreckage had yet to be removed as of Monday.
The airport's second runway remains open, although the NPS has advised pilots to “use their discretion to determine if wind conditions allow for a safe landing on Runway 33.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are reportedly working to determine the circumstances that led to Friday’s accident.
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.