Wheeling plane crash could have been far worse
Pilot Lands Plane on Roadway
A pilot avoided a major disaster on Tuesday night when he crash-landed his plane on a highway in Chicago. According to a report by Sara Hooker of the Daily Herald, the pilot reported technical issues with his plane about a half mile from the Wheeling Airport.
Officials are amazed that the pilot was able to land the plane without injury to himself or anyone on the ground. The plane was brought down on a road between two apartment complexes so injuries could have been numerous. The prop smashed into the ground as the wing crashed into a tree spinning the plane. The pilot, who initially walked away from the crash, was later transported to nearby Glenbrook Hospital with minor injuries.
“To develop a problem and then put it down on the road instead — it could have been a lot worse,” Dennis Rouleau said. “It could have been in some buildings, but he was able to put it down on the street to avoid injuries to himself and people on the ground. There was a fair amount of damage, but for what he did, the airplane was pretty intact for landing short of the runway. He did a spectacular job of avoiding homes and cars.”
Airport manager Dennis Rouleau, praised the pilot on his quick actions to avoid the catastrophe of crashing the plane into nearby building.
The accident is currently under investigation by the FAA before being transported to the airport. The plane is registered to Tennair LLC out of Clarksville, Tennessee and was to make a scheduled stop at Chicago Executive Airport Tuesday evening. Due to the large amount of medical personal and news crews in the area, the runway will remained closed throughout the night.
Source:
Wheeling plane crash
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130626/news/706269924
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