Plane crashes at airport

No injuries reported

HAYDEN — A plane crashed at the Coeur d’ Alene Airport Thursday. There were no injuries.

Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on scene about 2 p.m. and observed a Cessna airplane in the grass along a runway.

Deputies contacted the two occupants of the aircraft identified as Clyde C. Stemberg, 30, from Kalispell, Mont., and Anthony H. Simental, 30, from Coeur d’Alene.

Stemberg, who was a pilot in training, was on approach to land the plane and lowered the landing gear, according to a KCSO press release.

“A light for the landing gear flickered, indicating the landing gear may not have been deployed,” the release said.

Simental, the instructor, called the Press late Thursday and said when the trouble began, he took control of the plane and the landing gear was down.

He said when the plane touched down, the left gear collapsed and the plane skidded out of control

“The plane contacted the runway and finally came to a rest after sliding on the runway and rotating due to the wing catching the grass,” the release said.

The plane sustained significant damage and some lights on the runway were damaged.

The Federal Aviation Administration responded to the scene and is in charge of the investigation.