Five rescued after small jet plunges into bay at Oregon airport

North Bend, Oregon — A small private jet carrying five people skidded off the runway and into the waters surrounding the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport early Monday morning, prompting a rapid emergency response that led to all passengers being rescued.

The incident occurred around 6:12 a.m., when the 2019 Honda HA-420 aircraft attempted to land on Runway 23 — a strip partially bordered by the Pacific Ocean. According to airport officials, the plane came to rest roughly 100 feet off the east end of the runway, submerged in the bay.

Emergency dispatchers were immediately notified, triggering a coordinated rescue effort involving fire crews from the airport, North Bend and Coos Bay, as well as local police, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the US Coast Guard, and the Coos Bay Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Images released by the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport show rescue crews working around the partially submerged aircraft as they assisted the pilot and four passengers to safety. All five were transported to Bay Area Hospital. Medical staff reported that two patients were discharged, one was admitted, one was transferred out of the region, and one remains under evaluation. All were listed in stable condition.

Commercial operations at the airport briefly paused during the rescue and recovery but resumed shortly afterward. SkyWest Airlines, operating a United Express flight from San Francisco, experienced a minor delay, with its arrival pushed to 2:14 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has authorized the removal of the aircraft, and a salvage company successfully secured the plane on airport grounds for investigation. Officials confirmed the inquiry into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

“This is a developing incident,” airport officials stated. “Information will be released as it becomes available.”