PORTSMOUTH, NH — A 17-year-old driver is accused of leading New Hampshire State Police on a nighttime chase that ended inside Portsmouth International Airport and left a parked Pilatus PC-12 badly damaged. Investigators say the black 2008 Ford Mustang breached the airport perimeter, crossed an aircraft apron and collided with a tractor before striking the plane.
Police say alcohol was involved in the Aug. 29 incident, and the teen now faces multiple charges tied to impaired driving and the getaway. No one was hurt, but the Mustang was badly damaged and the airplane sustained major structural damage. The case is set to return to court in Portsmouth later this week.
How the chase began on a search for another vehicle
According to state police, troopers were looking for a vehicle connected to crimes reported in other jurisdictions when they spotted the Mustang around 8:09 p.m. A trooper tried to stop it, but the driver allegedly refused to pull over and kept going without headlights on.
From there, the situation escalated fast. Police say the car entered airport property, broke through a fence and kept moving across the airfield. What started as a traffic stop became a runway-area intrusion that put airport equipment, a parked aircraft and the driver at risk.
State police described the sequence as a reckless attempt to avoid arrest that quickly moved from public roads to restricted airport grounds. The Mustang’s path through the airfield created the collision course that led to the damage at the company’s Portsmouth headquarters area.
Mustang crosses the apron, hits a tractor and slams into a jet
Once inside the airport, the Mustang allegedly crossed an aircraft parking apron before first hitting a tractor and then a Pilatus PC-12 that was parked nearby. Video from the incident shows the Ford as badly damaged and apparently beyond repair.
The plane was not carrying passengers, and no injuries were reported among airport workers or others in the area. Even so, the crash left the aircraft with a collapsed left wing and landing gear, damage that can quickly drive repair costs into the seven-figure range for a turboprop of that class.
PlaneSense said the aircraft was at its Portsmouth headquarters for routine maintenance when it was struck. The company operates the plane, which underscores why even a stationary aircraft can become an expensive target when a vehicle reaches a secure ramp area.
Airport stayed open despite the security breach
Portsmouth International Airport remained open after the crash, and officials said operations were not affected. That detail stood out because a breach of a perimeter fence and an impact near parked aircraft could have forced a broader shutdown at many airports.
Instead, airport activity continued while investigators sorted out what happened on the ground. The incident still highlighted how quickly a fast-moving car can threaten a controlled aviation environment, even when the airport does not suspend service.
The Mustang’s path through the fence, apron and maintenance area also raised questions about how much damage a single fleeing driver can cause in a matter of minutes. In this case, the consequences spread from a police pursuit to a disabled car, a damaged work vehicle and a struck airplane.
Wyatt Seely faces DWI and reckless-driving counts
Police identified the driver as Wyatt Seely of Rochester, New Hampshire. He is charged with misdemeanor aggravated DWI, DWI, disobeying a police officer and conduct after an accident, along with a violation-level reckless-driving charge.
After the crash, Seely was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation. Authorities did not report any injuries to officers, airport workers or bystanders. The charges reflect both the alleged impaired driving and the decision to keep going after police tried to stop the car.
Seely is scheduled to be arraigned in Portsmouth District Court on Sept. 9. Until then, the case remains focused on the unusual chain of events that began as a routine enforcement effort and ended with serious damage at an airport.
Why the crash drew attention beyond New Hampshire
The collision drew attention because it combined several rare elements at once: a teenage driver, an airport breach, a damaged tractor and a strike to a multimillion-dollar aircraft. The Pilatus PC-12 is not a small private prop plane in the everyday sense; even older examples can carry a large price tag, and this one took direct hits to critical landing components.
It also fit a broader pattern that law enforcement and airport operators try to prevent: a vehicle leaving public roads and entering an area where people expect strong physical barriers and tight control. In this case, those barriers were not enough to stop the Mustang before it reached the aircraft apron.
For PlaneSense and airport officials, the immediate concern shifted from the chase itself to the cost and logistics of repairing a plane that was sitting for maintenance. For state police, the case now moves into court on charges that could carry lasting consequences for the teenager behind the wheel.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
