Cirrus Vision Jet gear collapses after takeoff attempt from closed runway section

A Cirrus Vision Jet suffered substantial damage when its landing gear collapsed during an attempted takeoff from a closed section of runway at Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport in Idaho, city officials said.

The accident happened around 6:30 a.m. local time on August 14, 2026. The aircraft, registered N71KD, was trying to depart from Runway 4 when it went down. Part of the runway had been shut for several weeks for construction, cutting the usable takeoff length from 7,301 feet to 3,850 feet.

According to city officials, the aircraft entered the closed portion of the runway and attempted to take off through the area under construction. The pilot managed to slow the aircraft before reaching the work site but could not avoid hitting construction material, a deputy city administrator said. One passenger was injured and taken to a hospital by ambulance. The severity of the injury has not been disclosed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft struck gravel before its landing gear collapsed. Records show the jet is registered to a company based in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Driggs-Reed Memorial is a nontowered field. Airport officials said pilots had been notified of the construction weeks in advance. A formal notice describing the partial closure was issued on August 5, specifying reduced takeoff distances through September 5.

Authorities have not said why the aircraft entered the closed section of runway, and an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.