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By Rebecca Boone

The Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho 鈥� Federal investigators are working to try to determine what caused a steel airplane hangar that was under construction in Idaho to collapse on Jan. 31, killing three people and leaving several others badly injured.

Though the hangar was being built at the joint civil-military Boise Airport, the project is privately owned by Jackson Jet Center, a charter flight and maintenance company. Big D Builders was constructing the hangar for Jackson Jet Center when the metal structure collapsed.

The Ada County Coroner on Friday released the names of the three men killed. Mariano Coc Och, 24, and Mario Sontay Tzi, 32, both of Nampa, and Craig Durrant, 59, of Boise were pronounced dead at the scene. All three died of traumatic blunt force injuries, according to a news release from the coroner鈥檚 office.

Nine other people were hurt, including five who had critical injuries and were hospitalized, according to Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel. Their current conditions have not been released by officials.

Durrant was the brother of Big D Builders鈥� owner, communications firm Fahlgren Mortine told The Associated Press in an email Friday. Big D Builders was incorporated in Idaho in 1996 with four founding board directors, including Craig Durrant, Idaho Secretary of State public records show.

鈥淲ords cannot describe our pain and sorrow since Wednesday evening,鈥� Big D Builders stated in an email sent by Fahlgren Mortine. 鈥淲e have lost family members and valued employees who were close personal friends. We have also had colleagues experience significant injuries.鈥�

The collapse was reported about 5 p.m., and first responders had to stabilize the massive structure while trying to rescue those who were trapped inside and underneath it. Steel girders and panels were bent, and a large crane was folded in the wreckage.

Inland Crane was hired to provide crane services for the hangar, but that work was largely completed when the accident occurred, company Vice President Jeremy Haener stated. No Inland Crane employees were injured, according to Haener, but the company was mourning the loss of partners and friends.

鈥淏ased on accounts of Inland Crane operators, construction workers on site, and the steel erecting contractor, we believe that no action by Inland Crane operators or the crane itself were cause for the structural failure,鈥� he stated.

At the time of the accident, the crane was being used to place an end truss, Haener stated.

鈥淲hen the building collapsed due to an unknown structural failure, the crane boom 鈥� the hydraulic arm of the equipment 鈥� snapped on impact,鈥� he stated.

Some of the victims were on a hoist or other elevated platform when the structure fell, Hummel said, and that required specialized rescue efforts.

Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said Thursday that it had been a 鈥渢ragic day鈥� for the community and expressed 鈥渉eartfelt condolences鈥� to those affected. He also praised first responders 鈥渇or their quick and professional response rescuing victims and caring for patients in a chaotic and very dangerous environment.鈥�

Construction work can be hazardous, and steel erection 鈥� the type of work being done at the hangar 鈥� is one of the top 10 most dangerous occupations, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Boise city records show that Meridian-based Big D Builders obtained permits to build a 39,000-square-foot hangar. The $8.1 million project was to include earth grading, a concrete foundation and a metal building.

Hummel said the building鈥檚 rigid steel frame had been erected and crews were still working on the structural components that would have tied it together when the 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� failure happened.

鈥淚t was a pretty global collapse that occurred, and the main structural members came down,鈥� he said.

Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have not yet released any details about possible causes. The investigation could take up to six months, according to David Kearns, area director for the Boise OSHA office.

Big D Builders is committed to working with OSHA and others to determine exactly why the structure failed and collapsed, according to its statement.

鈥淭his is a tragedy with a lot of people across the valley grieving today,鈥� Kearns said. 鈥淯nfortunately, events like these often drive home the importance of ensuring that work site safety and health is a core value at workplaces.鈥�

Wind can sometimes be a factor in the failure of buildings that are under construction, and gusts of up to 20 mph were recorded at the airport just before the collapse was reported, according to the National Weather Service in Boise.

Other possible factors could be the quality of welding and bolts, a structure鈥檚 design, or how it is assembled and braced. Kearns said he couldn鈥檛 talk about whether wind or other factors might have played a role.

OSHA records show that Big D Builders received multiple safety violations from the agency within the past 10 years. The first, in 2014, was for having workers who weren鈥檛 trained in the proper procedures for erecting extension ladders. Two others in 2017 and 2022 resulted from having subcontractor employees working too close to holes in floors or walls without adequate protection from falls. A fourth violation in 2023 resulted in a $21,875 fine 鈥� a higher amount because it was deemed a 鈥渞epeat violation鈥� 鈥� after OSHA said workers were exposed to fall hazards while installing metal sheathing on the roof of a steel building.

There was no indication in the OSHA records that anyone was ever injured in connection with those violations. Fall and ladder hazards are among the most common violations issued by the agency.

Big D Builders has operated in Idaho for 28 years, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s website. It has worked on many steel-fabricated construction projects throughout the West, including the SkyWest hangar at the Boise Airport, according to the company鈥檚 website.

Greg Baisch, who hired Big D Builders to construct his Sage Hills Equestrian facility last year in Eagle, said he was impressed with the company鈥檚 work and was shocked to hear of the hangar collapse.

鈥淭hey were safe, conscientious, professional and did a fantastic job erecting the structure during the challenging winter season,鈥� Baisch said. 鈥淚’d hire them again.鈥�

Jackson Jet Center officials stated that they did not know what caused the collapse and 鈥渙ur focus now is on supporting our team and partners during this difficult time.鈥�