‘A catastrophic loss.’ Company issues statement after pilot killed in plane crash
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ARCO — A company is mourning the loss of one of their own, and the Federal Aviation Administration is continuing to investigate after a two-airplane crash happened in Butte County.
A statement was sent to EastIdahoNews.com by Visser Air Ag, a company in Rigby.
“The Visser Air Ag family has suffered a catastrophic loss today when two planes had a midair collision. At this difficult time, our hearts are heavy with the tragic loss of one of our own. We will cooperate fully with the NTSB as they investigate what led to this accident. We will be focusing on supporting our pilots and their families. We appreciate the outpouring of love and concern from the ag and aviation communities.”
Officials said both planes were from Visser Air Ag and were spraying fields together.
EastIdahoNews.com has learned the identity of the pilot who was killed but are waiting for law enforcement to officially release the name.
Background
The incident happened on Thursday around 1 p.m. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a two-airplane crash west of the Arco Airport.
Both aircraft involved were crop duster type airplanes.
“The planes collided in midair, and both went down into a sage and grass-covered area,” a news release from the sheriff’s office said.
One pilot was killed and one was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. His condition is unknown.
