Unoccupied single-engine plane flipped by larger aircraft's prop wash

No one was hurt in an accident that flipped a single-engine plane around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to officials with Poplar Bluff Regional Business Airport.

The single-engine was not occupied, said Gary Pride, airport manager. The accident occurred when prop wash from a larger twin-engine aircraft lifted and flipped the smaller plane, he said.

“An Archer 2, the single-engine, unoccupied plane, was parked on the hanger ramp area,” Pride said. “There was a King Air two-engine plane that was brought out. That pilot was doing electronic chart updates and an engine run-up as part of his routine plane maintenance.”

A pilot would not routinely throttle their engines that high with a smaller plane so close, according to officials.

“In addition, we had 14 mile an hour winds gusting to 20 miles an hour,” Pride said. “It was a freak accident with the wind and the high throttle that resulted in airflow sufficient to flip the airplane. It destroyed it.”

Because there was no intent to fly, the NTSB is not involved, said Pride, adding it’s not even considered an accident by the FAA.

“It’s an incident, that’s how they’re going to categorize it,” Pride said. “It’s up to the insurance companies now.”

Both aircraft are registered as based at the Poplar Bluff airport.

This article has been updated with additional information since it was first published.