75-Year-Old Pilot Crashes Small Plane Into Backyard Of Michigan Home
A 75-year-old pilot crashed a small plane into the backyard of a Michigan home. It barely missed the house!
It sounds like he overshot the runway and ended up crash landing in someone’s backyard in Washtenaw County. It came mere feet from crashing into the home of Tracie Townsend. She tells FOX 2 Detroit, “If it hadn’t been for the trees it might have been a different story.” One of the risks of a 75-year-old pilot.
Did A 75-Year-Old Pilot Crash A Small Plane?
The incident happened in the middle of the afternoon around 3:45pm, or as many other 75-year-olds would call it “dinner time.” The plane ended up landing close to the Augusta Mobile Home Park near Bemis Road. It sounds like he intended to land at a nearby privately-owned Belleville airport.
According to FOX 2 Detroit, neighbors heard the crash, called 911, and helped the 75-year-old pilot out of the small plane. Chief Dave Music of the Augusta Township Fire Department tells FOX 2 News, “He was on the ground they had him on a blanket roll. He was talking to me and gave instructions on how to turn the fuel off to the plane which was leaking out of the wing.” The pilot was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. While he didn’t appear to be badly injured, he did have scrapes on his face and claimed some neck pain.
Investigators are unsure if the pilot missing the runway was a mechanical error or a pilot error but they are continuing to look into it. The plane has since been removed from the resident’s backyard and brought back to a hanger where the investigation can continue. The pilot was reportedly not willing to give an interview following the accident but his family said he is doing okay given the circumstances, per FOX 2 Detroit.
Thankfully, it sounds like the 75-year-old pilot is going to be okay. Can’t say the same thing about the small plane. Can you imagine if this happened at your home? You’re trying to enjoy a nice October afternoon and soak in the crisp fall weather when you see something in the air heading your way before it crash lands in your yard? That would be incredibly scary! This could have ended much worse than it did. He could have hurt himself, he could have ended up crashing into someone and hurting them, or he could have badly damaged the house. It sounds like all of that was avoided somehow!