Family of UPS pilot who died after her plane crashed into potato plant near runway wants airport SHUT DOWN
A female pilot with more than a decade of flying experience was killed after her plane crashed into a potato processing plant with a large chimney sticking out nearby a rural airport in Idaho.
The tragedy befell last week when 30-year-old Brittney Infanger was transporting UPS packages from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Burley Idaho. About 90 minutes into her flight, Brittney's single-engine 208B aircraft crashed into the Gem State Processing Plant in Heyburn, Idaho, around 8.30 am on Wednesday, April 13. The pilot — described as "well respected" and "beyond her years" — reportedly had more than 11 years of flight experience around Utah and Idaho.
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Brittney's devastated father Jim Bob Infanger said his daughter knew the area well and flew into Burley International Airport quite frequently. He blamed the deadly crash on the dangerous chimney of the Gem State Processing Plant and called for authorities to close the nearby landing strip. "There's a 60-foot chimney sticking out 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," Jim told local news station East Idaho News. "The airport needs to be closed, period," the distraught father insisted. "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 plant to continue to expand and this chimney comes on and has a huge amount of steam. If the wind is blowing...you fly right into this wall of steam."
Jim explained that the Burley Airport is on the bank of the Snake River and the Gem State Processing Plant is on the opposite bank. He said his daughter might have hit a bird while descending towards the airport. A probe into the crash has been launched by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Heyburn Police and Minidoka County Sheriff's Office said Brittney was flying too low when she attempted to land her plane. "We're just sad and horrified and heartbroken," Jim told Fox News. Meanwhile, Brittney's parents have accused Cassia County officials of ignoring multiple reports of difficult landings from pilots and keeping the Burley Airport operational.
Brittney was working for a company contracted by UPS and was one of the main pilots chosen to fly the delivery routes owing to her experience. On April 13, she took off from Salt Lake City International Airport around 7 am and crashed into the Gem State Processing Plant in Heyburn about an hour and a half later. The single-engine 208B plane was found upside down. Authorities said Brittney was the only victim and that the plant did not sustain any significant damage.
During their Fox News appearance, Brittney's parents remembered how their daughter had achieved so much in life. She was the fifth of seven children and was an honor student and athlete in high school and college. She had more than 11 years of flying experience at just 30. Following in her pilot father's footsteps, she took her first solo flight when she was just 19. She taught aspiring pilots when she went to college in Arizona, before moving to Idaho in the wake of the pandemic to continue teaching. At the time of her death, she had resettled in Salmon, where her parents also reside. "It's devastating that she's gone ... I'm just reflecting on the amazing life she had," her mother said on Fox News. "She just lived her dream. She loved to fly. She was very adventurous."
The parents are now campaigning for the Burley International Airport to be closed permanently. "On a typical flight in, you have to go over the top of these obstructions and then quickly drop down to get on the runway that's right at the edge of the river," Jim explained. "So it's a very, very technical airport to come into. Our mission is to get the Burley Airport closed,' he added. "We don't think it's safe for pilots going in and out," the grieving father added.
Brittney's sister Erica Dawn Hill remembered her in an emotional post on Instagram. "Brittney was a light. She had a knack for making everyone she met feel important and loved. She was spontaneous, adventurous, and driven," Erica wrote. "She always loved flying, and now she has her wings." A funeral has been arranged and will be held on Saturday, April 23.