Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, July 9, 2012
(BEDFORD) - A single-engine Bellanca Sitbria plane crash landed in a field southeast of Sand Pit and Church Camp roads Sunday afternoon.
The plane has two seats, with the pilot sitting in the front and the passenger in the rear.
Jeff Morgan, 53, and Jacob Morgan, 18, father and son, were returning to Salem after having flown to Logan County, Illinois.
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig, says Jacob Morgan called 911 at 1:03 p.m. Sunday reporting the plane had crashed.
According to Jim McFarlin, medical officer with Shawswick Volunteer Fire Department, the father suffered laceration and contusions. The son's injuries were more serious with a broken femur, but both are expected to recover.
"All in all these two were pretty lucky their injuries were not worse," McFarlin says. "We were trying to get a helicopter here to transport the son, but the weather conditions are not allowing that."
While at the scene Lawrence County was put under a weather watch for possibility of golf ball size hail. And Shawswick Fire Department were called to the scene of powerlines down and arching and smoke in a home on Ind. 58 and Boyd Lane.
According to Shawswick Fire Chief Bobby Brown the father and son were on their way from Illinois to Salem to visit the son's mother-in-law who is sick.
"The plane ran out of fuel," Brown says. "They were headed to the airport in Salem but decided to attempt to land at Grissom. But the plane ran out of fuel before they could make it."
The pilot told police they were about 2,000 feet from the airport when they went down and were traveling around 90 to 100 miles per hour.
Brown says Jacob, who was piloting the plane, was able to navigate the plane to a skidding stop in a field, but at one point the nose of the plane did hit the ground. The pilot was able to keep the plane upright, but it broke apart when it crashed, leaving the plane in pieces.
"They were lucky they did not get thrown from the plane and they were able to keep it upright," Brown says. "The father was out when we arrived, but we had to free the son from the wreckage."
Firefighters say everyone was lucky there wasn't an explosion and massive fire, because of the dry conditions.
"They are very luck people," Brown says. "We were expecting things to be a lot worse."
Federal Aviation Administration officials were expected to begin an investigation late Sunday.
Photo from Alison Eaton
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