AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A pilot suffered minor injuries after a small airplane made an emergency landing in a Washtenaw County mobile home community Monday afternoon.
It happened around 3:45 p.m. at the Augusta Woods mobile home community near Bemis and Rawsonville roads in Augusta Township.
Watch video from the scene below:
The pilot, a 75-year-old Ypsilanti man, was the only person on the single-engine plane.
The pilot was trying to land at the airport nearby and reportedly overshot the runway, according to Michigan State Police. The plane crashed into trees next to a home.
“Not everyday you have a plane in your backyard, so a little too close for comfort,” said Tracie Townsend, whose home was almost hit by the plane.
The wings of the plane hit two trees, which stopped the plane from hitting Townsend's home.
"It looks like the tree saved those people's house,” said Kristyn Woodworth, who lives nearby. "It's a blessing the tree was there.”
While Townsend's home is still in tact, her sense of comfort has been rocked. Living so close to the airport, she’s hoping her luck isn't tested again.
“I never really thought about overshooting the runway. It never was something I thought about," Townsend said. "But now, I will think about it in a different way.”
People who live near the scene told 7 News Detroit that after the landing, the pilot shut the plane off and was able to get out. They said he was bleeding from his head but was walking around and coherent.
People helped the pilot once he got out. He was then taken to the hospital by ambulance.
The incident is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, MSP said.
