Fire breaks out during aircraft ground test in Prescott
A fire involving an electric-propulsion aircraft undergoing ground testing closed the Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona for several hours during the evening of January 22.
The Prescott Fire Department was already on scene, having been summoned to stand by during the testing as a precaution, and quickly put out the blaze, according to local media reports.
An Israeli company, Eviation Aircraft, is developing the electric-propulsion airplane known as Alice, a nine-seat, zero-emission V-tail airliner. According to a news report, Eviation Aircraft said a ground-based battery system was believed to have caused the fire. The company planned to "fully investigate this matter as quickly as possible," the report said.
In a video interview, Robin Sobotta, the airport director, said there were no reported injuries in the incident that occurred about 6:30 p.m. Mountain time. Officials evacuated several other airport tenants as a precaution, she said.
The airport returned to normal operations about 9 p.m., according to a news release issued by the city of Prescott.
