BOISE, ID – A hangar under construction at the Boise Airport experienced a “catastrophic” collapse on Wednesday, resulting in three fatalities and injuring nine others, officials reported. Out of the injured, five are said to be in critical condition.
Emergency services were called around 5 p.m. to respond to the collapse of the privately-owned steel-framed hangar. Aaron Hummel, Boise Fire Department Operations Chief, described the incident as a “large-scale collapse.” He confirmed during a news briefing that all individuals accounted for were successfully evacuated by Wednesday evening.
Three individuals tragically lost their lives on site, while multiple victims were rescued by the responding fire crews. Although the cause of the deadly collapse remains under investigation, Hummel described the event, citing a “pretty global collapse” of the building’s framework.
The scene also included the collapse of a crane. Some of the victims were on a hoist or an elevated platform at the time of the incident, necessitating specialized rescue operations.
Eyewitness accounts provided valuable insights into the gravity of the situation. Terra Furman, who was driving on Interstate 84 at around 5:30 p.m., described seeing a large number of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks responding at the scene, with visible signs of a collapsed building and a folded crane.
Per Boise city permit records, Big D Builders, the contractor, had secured permits for the construction project of a 39,000-square-foot jet hangar for the Jackson Jet Center. The hangar was scheduled for construction adjacent to the Jackson Jet Center, which provides private airplane charters and maintenance services.
Jackson Jet Center released a statement expressing their condolences for everyone affected by the tragic event.