Cal Fire plane crashes at Rohnerville Airport

FORTUNA, Calif. (KIEM) – At least one person is counting their lucky stars after a Cal Fire plane skids along the runway in Fortuna.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday as the Cal Fire Tanker 96 was on its way back to the Cal Fire air base at Rohnerville Airport.

This photo was taken roughly an hour after the incident. As you can see, the plane is not level with the tip of the wing leaning on the ground. The plane itself is turned perpendicular to the landing strip.

According to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Savona, there were no injuries as a result of the crash, but Cal Fire would not specify how many people were on board.

Emergency personnel did respond to the crash and fortunately the plane never caught fire.

There are reports that an unspecified mechanical issue might have led to the crash and fog was reported in the area, but the cause is still under investigation.

The incident has been passed along to the FAA and Cal Fire says more information will be released at the appropriate time.