NMC Plane Crash Lands At Civic Center

A Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) plane containing an instructor and a student made an emergency crash landing at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center Tuesday. No one was injured in the accident, which will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to Diana Fairbanks, NMC's associate vice president of public relations, marketing, and communications, the plane was owned by NMC and contained both a flight instructor and a student pilot. The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined, but will be investigated by the FAA, which is expected to arrive on the scene Wednesday morning. The Traverse City Police Department guarded the plane overnight Tuesday, as the vessel is required to remain on-site at the Civic Center until an FAA investigation is completed. While no one was injured in the emergency landing, the plane did sustain significant damage.

NMC has "voluntarily grounded" all of its aircraft until further notice for a safety standown, according to Fairbanks.

Photo credit: Michael Poehlman