A hangar collapse on Wednesday at Boise Airport in Idaho claimed the lives of three people and injured nine others. The 39,000-sq-ft hangar was under construction for Jackson Jet Center. The mishap is now under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“First responders found a hectic scene and worked to secure and rescue victims,” said Aaron Hummel, division chief of operations and EMS at Boise City Fire Department. “The Boise Airport, city of Boise, and all first responders extend their deepest sympathies to those impacted.”
“[Wednesday's] tragic news of the hangar collapse was absolutely heartbreaking for our airport team and for our community,” said Boise Airport director Rebecca Hupp, adding that the airport’s focus is on the families of the deceased and the staff at Jackson Jet Center.
The hangar was an expansion announced last year by Jackson Jet Center, an FBO and business aircraft charter and maintenance provider.
"This occurred just west of our existing Jackson Jet Center at our new 39,000 square-foot steel hangar under construction, where dozens of dedicated people were working on site. We do not know exactly what caused the hangar collapse," said Jackson Jet Center president Jeff Jackson in a statement provided to AIN.
City permit records show Big D Builders as the contractor for the hangar. The company has been cited for several OSHA violations on previous projects.
OSHA spokesperson Michael Petersen told AIN that the investigation is in its early stages and it will be several months before they can share their findings. "[Big D Builders] were the construction company working on the hangar, and that would be one of the areas of focus, that company," he said.
Petersen added that he does not believe that Jackson Jet Center is currently a focus of the ongoing OSHA investigation. He declined to comment on whether Big D Builders has so far been cooperative with the preliminary investigation.
The hangar was initially planned as a means for Jackson Jet to continue its operations while its previous hangar site was being acquired for additional parking spaces, part of a larger-scale project by the airport to revamp its facilities.
“These hangars are necessary for continued Jackson Jet operations following the Boise Airport requiring Jackson Jet to vacate their existing hangars in order to accommodate planned airport parking facilities,” Ryan McColly of architectural firm Glancey Rockwell & Associates wrote in an application letter last year on behalf of Jackson Jet Company.
Jackson Jet also has operations in Phoenix, touting "world-class FBO terminals, private hangar space, private airplane charters, and aircraft maintenance and management services."
The article was updated to include a statement from Jackson Jet Center president Jeff Jackson.
A hangar collapse at Boise Airport in Idaho has claimed the lives of three people and injured nine others. The collapse is now under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“First responders found a hectic scene and worked to secure and rescue victims,” said Division Chief of Operations Aaron Hummel in a statement on Thursday. “The Boise Airport, City of Boise, and all first responders extend their deepest sympathies to those impacted.”
“Yesterday’s tragic news of the hangar collapse was absolutely heartbreaking for our airport team and for our community,” said Boise Airport Director Rebecca Hupp, adding the airport’s focus is on the families of the deceased and the staff at Jackson Jet Center.
The hangar was an expansion announced last year by Jackson Jet Center, a private charter service. Jackson Jet Center declined comment to AIN. Additional requests for comment to Jackson Jet Center president Jeff Jackson were not returned by the time of publication.
City permit records show Big D Builders as the contractor for the hangar. The company has been cited for several OSHA violations on previous projects. A representative of Big D Builders also declined comment to AIN.
OSHA spokesperson Michael Petersen told AIN that the investigation is in its early stages and it will be several months before they can share their findings.
"[Big D Builders] were the construction company working on the hangar, and that would be one of the areas of focus, that company," he said.
He added that he does not believe that Jackson Jet Center is currently a focus of the ongoing OSHA investigation. He declined to comment on if Big D Builders has so far been cooperative with the preliminary investigation.
The hangar was initially planned as a means for Jackson Jet to continue its operations while its previous hangar site was being acquired for additional parking spaces, part of a larger-scale project by the airport to revamp its facilities.
“These hangars are necessary for continued Jackson Jet operations following the Boise Airport requiring Jackson Jet to vacate their existing hangars in order to accommodate planned airport parking facilities,” Ryan McColly of architectural firm Galncey Rockwell & Associates wrote in an application letter last year on behalf of Jackson Jet Company. Galncey Rockwell & Associates also declined comment to AIN.
Jackson Jet also has operations in Phoenix, AZ, touting "world-class FBO terminals, private hangar space, private airplane charters, and aircraft maintenance and management services."