Sky-diving plane crashes in Mesquite, two injured

A small skydiving plane crashed Saturday afternoon at the Mesquite Municipal Airport, just two months after two skydivers plunged to their deaths when their parachute malfunctioned above the airport.

Both the pilot and a single passenger survived Saturday's incident.

The plane was attempting to land about 12:30 p.m. after several skydivers completed their jump, said Jeffrey Smith, a spokesman for the Mesquite Police. The plane skidded off the runway, crossed Kitty Hawk Drive and slid into the Canyons Golf Course before stopping on its belly at the 17th hole, he said.

One person was treated on scene and the other was transported to the hospital, treated and released.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, Smith said.

The Cessna aircraft was operating for Skydive Mesquite, the company that oversaw the Oct. 9 jump when instructor James Fonnesbeck, 60, and his tandem jumping student Claudette Porter, 75, were killed.

Contact Jessica Fryman at jfryman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.