Pilot Robert DeLaurentis Describes Crash Landing At Felts Field

Robert DeLaurentis, well-known pilot, author and entrepreneur in aviation circles, was involved in a crash-landing Monday night at Felts Field Airport (SFF) in Spokane, Washington.

DeLaurentis, speaking to local news station KREM2, explained that he was flying from his home airport on Whidbey Island when his engines lost power just 100 feet above the ground, about a quarter mile from the runway. “I heard a loud popping sound on both sides and then a big vibration," he told KREM. "I believe that was probably icing."

DeLaurentis escaped unscathed, but the aircraft he was piloting, known as The Citizen of the World, is said to be a total loss. The 1983 Gulfstream Twin Commander 900 had been DeLaurentis' companion on his global circumnavigation, during which he flew from the North to the South Pole. The aircraft had endured some of the harshest, most remote conditions on Earth, making Monday's incident all the more surprising.

Despite losing The Citizen of The World, DeLaurentis says he’s thankful to be alive. "One of the guys from the fire department said, 'Rough landing,' and I said, 'Well, any landing you walk away from is a good one.' We're saying she delivered me home one last time." 

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.