US plane crash-lands on toilets

Advertisement

The scene of the crash in Washington state

A US pilot was in luck when his falling aeroplane made a soft landing, thanks to a row of portable toilets.

The Cessna 182 suffered apparent engine failure after taking off from Thun Field airfield south-east of Tacoma in Washington state.

As it fell, the plane hit a fence, flipped upside down and landed on toilets being stored near the runway by the Northwest Cascade company.

A company employee said the toilets had "kind of cushioned things".

Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the county sheriff, told the News Tribune newspaper that the pilot had reached an altitude of about 150ft (45m) when the engine "quit running".

"He tried to turn around and come back and land, but he didn't quite make it," said Mr Troyer.

The 67-year-old pilot, who was reported to have been flying alone, has not been identified.