A small green experimental airplane crashed into a wooded area at Union County Airport on Wednesday morning, just seconds after it lifted off the runway, leaving the pilot with minor injuries and sheriff's deputies and FAA investigators trying to figure out what went wrong. The pilot, identified as Bruce Atherton of Marysville, was taken to Union County Memorial Hospital for treatment after the crash near Clymer Road.
According to a media release from the Union County Sheriff's Office, the 911 Communications Center received a call at approximately 9:59 a.m. reporting that a small green airplane had crashed into a wooded area at the airport, located at 760 Clymer Road in Marysville. The caller's report matched what first responders found when they arrived: a green 2018 Zenith 750 aircraft nose-down in the trees, its tail elevated in the air while the cockpit rested on the ground against a tree trunk, per the sheriff's office.
Deputies from the sheriff's office, officers from the Marysville Police Department, and personnel from the Marysville Division of Fire all responded to the scene, the release states. Atherton was transported by Marysville Fire Department personnel to Memorial Hospital following the dispatch, according to the Marysville Journal-Tribune.
Sharp Turn Shortly After Liftoff
The preliminary investigation indicates the aircraft was taking off westbound on Runway 27 when, shortly after becoming airborne, it made a sharp right turn, flew over the taxiway, and then struck the ground and a small tree, the sheriff's office release notes. The specific cause of that abrupt turn remains under investigation.
Atherton is no stranger to the local aviation community. He is a retired civil engineer from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and serves as president of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1629, which holds its monthly meetings at Union County Airport, according to EAA Chapter 1629.
An Aircraft Built for Short Runways
The plane involved is a Zenith CH-750 STOL, an experimental, amateur-built kit aircraft, according to Aviation Safety Network. The CH-750 STOL was designed by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz and produced by Zenith Aircraft Company specifically for short takeoff and landing performance, capable of operating from short grass or paved strips, per a report from KITPLANES.
Union County Airport, identified by the codes KMRT and MRT, sits at an elevation of 1,021 feet above sea level and features a 4,218-foot primary asphalt runway and a 2,702-foot secondary turf runway. The aircraft was taking off from Runway 27.
Not the First Incident on Runway 27
Other Recent Incidents Wednesday's crash isn't the only general aviation incident the airport has seen in recent years. In April 2019, a Cessna R182 Skylane was involved in a ground-control accident at the airport, according to Kathryn's Report. A more serious accident occurred in December 2011, when an American Champion 8KCAB aerobatic airplane struck terrain during low-level maneuvering near the airport, resulting in a fatality, according to a final investigation report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Experimental, amateur-built aircraft like the Zenith involved in Wednesday's crash make up roughly 10% of the U.S. general aviation fleet but account for approximately 15% of all general aviation accidents and 21% of fatal crashes, per a comprehensive NTSB safety study. Amateur-built aircraft undergo a distinct FAA airworthiness certification process compared with factory-manufactured planes.
What Comes Next
The crash remains under investigation by the Union County Sheriff's Office and the FAA, with the Marysville Police and Fire Departments having assisted at the scene, per the sheriff's office release. Anyone with information about the crash can contact Lieutenant Joshua Kent at 937-645-4143, the sheriff's office release states.
