Fierce Winds Create Incident at Bellingham International Airport

Feb. 23—Fierce northeast winds tipped a small private plane as it taxied at Bellingham International Airport, requiring the help of airport firefighters.

No damage or injuries were reported in the incident at 11:05 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, said Sunil Harman, director of aviation.

Harman told The Bellingham Herald that the single-engine aircraft was on the airfield but not on the runway itself.

"It appears a wind gust lifted one wing and wheel off the pavement causing the other wing to strike the pavement," Harman said in an email.

A total of 11 fire engines, ladder trucks, command units and ambulances were dispatched, according to the emergency services app Pulse Point.

But it turned out that only one airport fire crew was needed.

A wind advisory was in effect at the time, and winds were blowing from the north-northeast at 25 to 30 mph and gusting to 40 mph, according to National Weather Service readings from the airport.

"Airport operations were unaffected and (there were) no delays to commercial scheduled flights," Harman said.

The airplane was removed at 11:35 a.m., he said.

This story was originally published February 23, 2023, 1:18 PM.

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