SOMERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A 74-year-old pilot didn't suffer serious injuries when his plane's landing geared snapped and the aircraft downed into a Tennessee field and caught fire.
News outlets report that on Wednesday afternoon Floyd Yarbro escaped the wreckage before it burst into flames not far from where he'd taken off at the Fayette County Airport. The county sheriff's office says he was examined at a Memphis hospital and let go.
Sheriff's officials think the plane experienced engine trouble, then key gear didn't deploy properly as he went to make an emergency landing.
The plane became fully engulfed in flames minutes after he escaped.
Aviation records obtained by WREG say he was piloting a single-engine plane manufactured about 45 years ago.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.