A 1958 Mooney aircraft found itself unexpectedly grounded yesterday morning after experiencing engine trouble, leading to an emergency landing in a Calhoun County, Michigan, cornfield, authorities confirmed. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on R Drive South between 21 Mile and 22 Mile roads in Clarendon Township, reported WOODTV.
The pilot, a 54-year-old man from Moab, Utah, was on a flight path to Ohio when the vintage plane he recently bought began to fail, necessitating the hasty descent. Despite the unplanned landing, he walked away uninjured. "The pilot informed deputies that he had recently purchased the aircraft in the Grand Rapids area and was en route to an airfield near Bryan, Ohio, when the engine malfunction occurred," detailed the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office.
Following the emergency landing, the sheriff's deputies localized the pilot at the scene, ensuring his safety. The onsite drone team of the sheriff's office provided assistance in locating the exact site of the unplanned landing. According to The Detroit News, the Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and has confirmed that an investigation into the incident is underway.
"The pilot of a single-engine Mooney M20A made an emergency landing in a corn field near Homer, Michigan, around 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, August 21," the FAA revealed in a recent release, as reported by The Detroit News.
