A preliminary report says engine failure caused a plane crash that left one injured last month in Sequatchie County.
According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the experimental plane left Cleveland, Tennessee, around 3 p.m. CDT on July 17. The pilot, who is not named in the report, told federal investigators that while in flight, the aircraft’s electronic flight instrument system and electrical system failed, causing complete engine loss. He said he then began going through the plane’s checklists and systems but couldn’t restore power.
He attempted to glide to a nearby airstrip but was unable and had to make an emergency landing in a field, where the plane landed hard, bounced and then nosed over.
The pilot, the only occupant of the plane, was injured.
The plane has been recovered by federal officials and a detailed inspection is pending.