The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Plane rolls over after being hit by blast from jet engines
(CNN) — The blast from the jet engines of a Boeing 737 sent a small plane with two people inside rolling onto its roof this weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
A small Cessna 172, carrying two people, was involved in an incident after a United Airlines Boeing 737 was preparing to take off from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.
The FAA said the blast from the 737’s engines sent the Cessna rolling onto its roof while the jet was increasing power to align with Runway 02L for departure to Chicago.
Air traffic communications captured during the event indicated that the Cessna was struck by the jet blast and subsequently flipped over, with controllers directing emergency response to the scene.
Surveillance video from the Orange County Flight Center showed the small aircraft tilting onto its nose and left wing before being moved forward and flipping completely onto its roof; the pilot and student inside were not injured.
The 737 landed safely in Chicago about two minutes earlier than scheduled, and the FAA is investigating the incident. The initial damage assessment by authorities classified the Cessna as substantial.