Two people walked away apparently uninjured when a small airplane coming in for a landing at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield flipped over Sunday afternoon.
An airport spokesman said it appeared crosswinds or shifting winds near the ground caught the Cessna 172 Skyhawk II, a high-winged, single-engine aircraft, just after 4:30 p.m. The plane landed about 100 yards east of the end of Runway 29 Right, according to Capt. Ross Riley of the North Metro Fire Rescue District.
Riley said a student pilot and his instructor had been practicing landings and take-offs when the instructor reported strong down-draft winds were keeping the plane from gaining altitude.
The plane sustained heavy damage in the hard landing, but fire crews reported there were no fuel leaks or fire.
The incident will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
