A pilot has survived a plane crash near Seattle after the aircraft possibly lost power Tuesday morning (January 16). The Auburn Police Department said officers responded to the 3900 Block of Auburn Way North around 11:30 a.m., according to a news release.
Officials found a single-engine aircraft smashed into a chain-link fence on the west side of the road. Investigators believe the plane lost power after takeoff, and the pilot tried to return to the airport based on preliminary information.
Police confirmed the pilot suffered minor injuries. No word on his condition as of 4 p.m.
Authorities closed Auburn Way North from 37th to 42nd Street Northeast in both directions for a couple of hours "pending a NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigation."
Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson asked civilians to avoid the area. He also shared several photos of the aircraft skewered on the fence upside down.
Several X (formerly Twitter) users expressed their shock over the plane crash. One person said they witnessed the scene on their way to work today.
"This was so scary to see," they wrote. "No fatalities, thank goodness! But holy f**king hell."
"That certainly looks like it could have been much worse," KOMO reporter Denise Whitaker posted.