“Flying has a way of reminding me of all the new horizons ahead-this past year brought a lot of unexpected challenges-but I’m grateful for clear skies and a clear view of God’s Creations-it’s helps me regain perspective.” – Brittney Infanger, Instagram post shared December 13, 2020.
The pilot of a single-engine Cessna 208B Grand Caravan was killed Wednesday morning after crashing into a potato processing plant. Her father is calling for the closure of the airport in southern Idaho.
Brittney Infanger, 30, was coming in for a landing at the Burley Municipal Airport (BYI) when the aircraft crashed into the Gem Processing Plant around 8:35 a.m last Wednesday. Tracking from Flight Aware shows Infanger had departed from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) an hour and a half earlier.
Infanger was working as a contract pilot delivering packages for UPS when the crash occurred.
According to her father, Jim Bob Infanger, she was a “well-respected pilot way beyond her years,” he told the East Idaho News.
Brittney had been flying for more than 11 years, and her father says she flew this route to the airport often and was well aware of the obstacles in the path.
The Burley Airport and the potato processing plant are separated by a river.
“There’s a 60-foot chimney sticked out of the top of the food processing plant – no lights on it, dead center – straight across the runway. So, whenever you come in, you have to fly over the top of this and drop down,” Infanger’s father said.
While the official cause of the crash is still under investigation, he suggested to East Idaho News that his daughter may have hit a bird on the way down.
Jim Bob is pushing for the closure of Burley Airport, claiming it is unsafe to land as the processing plant continues to expand.
“That airport needs to be closed, period,” Jim Bob Infanger told East Idaho News. “I’m a pilot myself and… many pilots have told me how unsafe the Burley Airport is and how they’ve begged the county to relocate it.
“They’ve allowed this potato processing plant to continue to expand and this chimney comes up and has a huge amount of steam. If the wind is blowing (in a certain direction), you fly right into this wall of steam. That was the case that morning.”
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident. A preliminary report is expected to be released within the next two weeks, but a final report could take up to two years.
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