Engine sputters before small plane crash in Clark County

It is not known whether the pilot, who suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital, is connected to the nursery.

The plane was identified as a single-engine Luscombe 8A. According to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, the plane was deregistered, but Bethel Twp. Fire Chief Jacob King said Studebaker was the owner.

Studebaker took off from the Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport.

“He actually got up in the air, barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway and actually started to go down at that point,” Aller said.

UPDATE @ 3:20 p.m.

The pilot of a small plane that crashed at the Studebaker Nurseries farm had just taken off from the Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport, which is about a half-mile away.

“Based on eyewitnesses that were in the area, or bystanders, he was taking off from the airport with the aircraft. They said they noticed him taking off because his engine made a weird noise and were just watching him,” King said. “He was able to feather it down as he was losing power.”

The pilot is from Ohio, and said he was planning to fly a short distance to an airport closer to his home.

“Anytime you crash and plane and you live and are able to walk and talk -- that’s a lucky guy,” King said.

The aircraft sustained significant damage.

UPDATE @ 2:35 p.m.

The pilot does have minor injuries and will go to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Lt. Brian Aller, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Springfield Post said.

The crash happened around 2 p.m. at 11140 Milton Carlisle Road on Studebaker Nurseries property.

Earlier, Aller said the pilot, whose name has not yet been released, was not injured.

FIRST REPORT

Crews were called after a small plane crashed into a farm field this afternoon near New Carlisle.

The crash was reported around 2 p.m. in the 11100 block of Milton Carlisle Road.

We have crews on the way and will update this report as we learn details.

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