Plane down in Lee County; pilot okay

A pilot walked away without injuries after crash landing a small plane in Lee County on Monday, authorities reported.

Reports indicated that the plane went down near the intersection of Kelly Drive and Pumping Station Road.

The pilot, who was unidentified, “did a great job” in landing the plane safely after experiencing engine trouble, according to Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter.

“There was some damage to plane, but that’s it,” Carter said. “The pilot is okay.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the state Highway Patrol, and Lee County Emergency Services all responded. The National Transportation Safety Board (NOT the Federal Aviation Administration, per one eagle-eyed commenter) is expected to investigate, which is standard in the case of airplane crashes.

So close. You did well with the headline of this story: factual yet not sensational. So is it really asking too much of a reporter not to refer such a “controlled off-airport landing with minimal damage and no injuries” as a “crash”?

Since it appears that you depended on information from such aviation-knowledgeable sources as the Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol, and Emergency Services, allow me to offer some facts:

1. The FAA does not investigate aviation-related events.
2. The National Transportation Safety Board (not a part of the FAA) does.
3. Such events are categorized as “accidents”, “incidents”, and “we’ll let you know”.

According to Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 830:
“Aircraft Accident – an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and until such time as all such persons have disembarked, _and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage_.” [emphasis mine]
“Incident – an occurrence other than an accident associated with the operation of an aircraft, which affects or could affect the safety of operations. ”
“Substantial Damage – damage or failure which adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and which would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component. _Engine failure or damage limited to an engine if only one engine fails or is damaged, bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, small punctured holes in the skin or fabric, ground damage to rotor or propeller blades, and damage to landing gear, wheels, tires, flaps, engine accessories, brakes, or wing tips are not considered substantial damage for the purpose of this order._” [emphasis mine]

The NTSB must be notified immediately of accidents, or if there is:
“Damage to property, other than the aircraft, estimated to exceed $25,000 for repair (including materials and labor) or fair market value in the event of total loss, whichever is less.”

Incidents must be reported to the NTSB within 10 days if it involves “substantial damage” (see above) to the aircraft.

Anything else falls under the “we’ll let you know” category, meaning the NTSB will contact you if it wants to know anything about it.

The off-airport landing your reported involved less damage than creasing your truck’s fender trying to squeeze into a parking place at Lowe’s. Would you have let a reporter use the word “crash” (twice) to describe that? Would you have even run such a non-story?

BTW, if you look at the picture you ran with the story, it is patently obvious that there are two seats in the airplane, so it hardly fits the definition of a “single-person plane”.