Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
PIMA – Two local men escaped with only minor injuries Thursday afternoon after crash landing their single-engine plane in a Pima cotton field near Safford/Bryce Road and Marshall Lane.
According to a call into Graham County Dispatch, the plane experienced engine failure around 3:30 p.m., which forced the crash landing. The pilot reportedly wasn’t able to land on the road due to the presence of utility lines and instead headed for the cotton field, which had already been harvested. During the rough landing, the plane ended upside down. The aircraft is reportedly classified as an experimental plane.
Pima Fire and Rescue responded to the scene. Thatcher Fire Chief Mike Payne also responded to the scene but Thatcher Fire had been canceled while he was en route. The Graham County Sheriff’s Office and a Pima Police officer also responded. Payne said only a small amount of fuel leaked from the plane during the crash.
The men were evaluated at the scene by Pima Rescue and were deemed not seriously injured. One of the men had some scrapes and bruises, according to Payne.
An official with the National Transportation Saftey Administration advised to take pictures of the downed aircraft and said it could then be loaded up and removed from the cotton field.
