An In-Progress Hangar Succumbs in Idaho Airport Claiming 3 Lives, Wounding 9

A hangar, presently in the course of construction within the confines of the airport premises in Boise, Idaho, succumbed to a collapse this Wednesday, resulting in the unfortunate demise of three individuals and causing injuries to nine others, as confirmed by official sources.

Of the individuals affected by the structural failure at Boise Airport, five find themselves in critical condition, as relayed in an official statement issued by the city on the evening of the incident.

Authorities were alerted around 5 p.m. to the collapse of the privately owned steel-framed hangar. Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel, during an earlier news briefing, characterized the event as a “catastrophic” collapse.

By Wednesday evening, all individuals present at the site had been identified, as stated in the official release. The city’s statement further reported that the three fatalities occurred at the scene, while fire crews diligently worked to stabilize the situation, successfully rescuing multiple victims.

Hummel, describing the scene as “very chaotic,” portrayed the incident as a “large-scale collapse” of the building’s framework. Despite the global collapse, Boise Airport’s operations remained unaffected, according to officials.

While driving on Interstate 84 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Terra Furman witnessed a significant emergency response presence, involving at least 20 police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks located a quarter mile from the airport entry. She described a crane folded in half and a building that had collapsed into the configuration of an ‘M.’

Hummel revealed that some of the victims were on an elevated platform when the structure fell, necessitating specialized rescue efforts. Additionally, a crane collapsed during the incident.

Leticia Ramirez, spokesperson for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, reported that emergency and trauma teams collaborated with first responders to attend to patients arriving from the scene.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collapse, which occurred in proximity to Jackson Jet Center, specializing in private airplane charters and maintenance.

Boise city permitting records indicate that Big D Builders, the contracting entity, had secured permits for the construction of a 39,000-square-foot (3,623-square-meter) jet hangar for Jackson Jet Center. The $6.2 million project involved the creation of a concrete foundation and a metal building. Attempts to seek comments from Big D Builders remained unanswered.

Jessica Flynn, CEO of Jackson Jet Center, expressed condolences, stating that their “hearts go out to everyone affected by this horrific event.” Flynn clarified that the collapse transpired just west of the existing Jackson Jet Center, at a site where the company’s new hangar was under construction.

James Quintana, witnessing the emergency response while en route to the airport, initially speculated a plane crash. He later observed the collapsed hangar and paramedics attending to victims, describing it as a “scary sight.”

Cody McGowan, positioned approximately 100 yards from the building, recounted hearing a noise resembling a loud dog whine. When he looked up, he observed a hangar, towering 3 ½ to 4 stories high, collapsing in on itself, along with a portion of the crane on top. McGowan expressed his shock at witnessing a building collapsing in such a manner.