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RICHFIELD — Two 1950s-era fighter jets flew into Richfield on Thursday afternoon and one belly-landed on the runway after a pilot-error, Richfield police said in a Facebook post.
No one was injured in the incident, Richfield Police Chief Trent Lloyd said.
The two pilots were on their way from Idaho to an air show and flew two fighter jets: A MiG and a Navy Fury.
About 4 p.m., as the planes were landing in Richfield for a pitstop, the Fury’s pilot accidentally hit his plane flaps instead of his landing gear, causing the plane to belly-land on the runway.
It took Richfield Fire Department crews several hours to get the plane off the runway because the aircraft’s landing gear is extremely long, Lloyd explained. Crews used a forklift and had to lift the plane high up to access the landing gear.
Crews were able to get the plane up on its wheels just before 8 p.m. and it was being towed off the runway shortly after, Lloyd said.
The runway was expected to reopen by 8:30 p.m.
According to Lloyd, the plane sustained pretty significant damage to its flaps, meaning the pilot’s trip would most likely be postponed. His pit crew had already arrived Thursday night and was expected to continue repairs on the plane Friday.
The pilots were flying from Idaho to an airshow in Nevada or California, Lloyd said.
Contributing: Mehul Asher, KSL
