Federal officials will conduct a mandatory investigation into a single-engine plane crash at Collegedale Municipal Airport.
The crash, which occurred at 6:10 a.m. Thursday, caused no fatalities or major injuries, the airport’s director of operations said.
“At around 6 this morning, an aircraft departed from here, lost sight of the runway and basically made a left turn and hit trees and crashed,” Director of Operations Chris Swain said.
Mr. Swain did not release the name of the pilot, who he said was able to walk away from the Piper Cherokee 140 plane to a nearby house for help.
“He was lucky to walk away from that,” Mr. Swain said.
He said that any time there is substantial damage to an aircraft there is an investigation.
Federal Aviation Administration investigator Paul Jones arrived on the scene about 11:30 a.m. Thursday and began the investigation. He said he will work with officials at the National Transportation Safety Board to put together a preliminary report examining aspects of the crash such as the weather, pilot and airworthiness of the aircraft.
Once the FAA completes its investigation, it will turn its findings over to the NTSB, which will determine probable cause and make a safety recommendation if needed. Peter Knudson, spokesman for the NTSB, said reports for non-fatal accidents are usually available to the public within three to 12 months.
Members of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene to put out a small fire in the plane after the crash.
The pilot was taken to a hospital for basic medical care, said Amy Maxwell, spokeswoman for Hamilton County Emergency Services.
The plane crashed about 75 yards off the runway, she said.
Staff writer Brittany Cofer contributed to this report.