PORTLAND, Maine — Portland police reported at approximately 4 p.m. Friday that emergency crews are on the scene of a small private plane crash at the Portland International Jetport.
A news release issued on Friday around 5 p.m. by City of Portland spokesperson Jessica Grondin says the small plane, a Cessna, crashed on runway 18 shortly after taking off.
"The Portland Fire Department responded and put out the fire and immediately began assisting the passengers with medical treatment," Grondin wrote in the release.
The two passengers that were on the plane have been transported to the hospital.
NEWS CENTER Maine's Jackie Mundry was live on the scene as Portland Jetport Director Paul Bradbury spoke to media about the crash.
Bradbury said he believes the plane was taking off when it caught fire, and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The jetport said in a tweet around 5 p.m. Friday that it has resumed operations on its primary runway, but the runway where the crash occurred is to remain closed for the time being.
According to a tweet from the Portland Jetport around 4:30 p.m. Friday, the following inbound flights were diverted to other airports:
- Southwest 3102 to Manchester.
- United 2465 to Boston.
- United 785 to Boston.
- Frontier 1658 to Providence.
- American 4503 to Boston.
Grondin wrote in the release that the above flights are now expected to return to Portland.
A NEWS CENTER Maine photographer on the scene observed the plane tail bears the registration number N9946Q.
According to FlightAware, the registration is associated with Horizon Aviation LLC in Sinclair.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.