We recognize the importance of conservation and protection of the environment and it is with that spirit in mind we make every effort to clean up all crash scenes to be better than they were prior to the crash recovery. We utilize energy efficient equipment, made of organic, recycled or renewable materials and manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner whenever possible.

Wilson's Towing is called to recover an airplane that landed short of the runway, ripping both of the rear landing gear from the airplane. The Fairchild Merlin II aircraft landed at the airport about 2:45 p.m. Monday, according to Airport Manager Monty Miller.

"Basically, he was landing on runway 2-2, which needs about a 300-foot threshold to land," Miller said. "He should have been 50 feet up when he got to the runway. He just came in too low."

The plane hit snow which had drifted or been plowed to the approach end of the runway.

"It ripped the main gear off it and skidded to a stop," Miller, who saw the accident from the airport terminal, said. "Once I verified there was no fire, no injuries and made sure the electric was shut off in the plane, I had to immediately close the airport and call the FAA."

Miller said that investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the airport Tuesday and completed their probe into the crash. The plane was then removed.

"The pilot claimed the drifts were eight or nine feet," Miller said. "I measured them at three and a half."

The passengers aboard were on the way to Wisconsin. They all made it to their destination via another plane, according to Miller. Wilson's Towing recovered the $800,000 aircraft to a work area on the adjacent tarmac without any further damage to the plane or airport property.

Mike Boardman loads the vehicle that was hit by Amtrak Friday morning. The driver didn't survive the initial impact and the vehicle and part of the train burned. The vehicle had to be winched from the tracks to the highway for loading and transport. Debris was scattered for 1/2 mile from the initial impact.