Rochester Plane Crash Leads to Airport Emergency Protocol Change

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A plane crash near the Rochester Airport has led to a policy change regarding how airport personnel respond to emergencies.

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The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said the single-engine plane crash-landed north of the airport near Oak Summit Golf Course around 10:15 Sunday night.

The pilot was reported to be walking after the crash and was transported to a hospital for an evaluation. A property owner in the area reported the crash then went to find the pilot.

Olmsted County Sheriff's Office news release

The 911 caller then brought the pilot to an area to be evaluated by medical personnel, the sheriff’s office said.

Rochester, MN Airport Changes Emergency Response Protocol Following Sunday Night Plane Crash

Following the crash, a Tik-Tok video surfaced that shared communications between the pilot, Air Traffic Control and the airport’s emergency responders.

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The Pilot can be heard telling the towner the aircraft “lost its engine” and the aircraft would “not make it back to the runway.”

The tower then pages for a rescue response, only to be told that Airport Rescue and Firefighter (ARFF) personnel needed to first get administrative permission to leave the airport property due to an American Airlines Flight being on the ground.

Following Sunday’s crash and the social media clip, the Rochester Airport issued a statement that reads in part, “As a result of Sunday’s events, we have reviewed our procedures and are removing the need for ARFF staff to gain administrative approval to respond to a crash off airport property.”

The statement also says the ARFF team was appropriately staffed and followed the proper protocol in place at the time of the crash.

Rochester Airport Statement

Authorities describe the plane as a smaller single-engine aircraft. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office says they have contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to assist with the plane crash investigation.

Members of the Stewartville Fire Department, the Rochester Fire Department and Mayo Clinic Ambulance also responded to the scene of the plane crash.

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