Single-engine plane catches fire and goes down in Marion County, pilot injured
A pilot was forced to make a crash landing in in a field east of Salem on Tuesday afternoon when the aircraft caught fire mid-flight, the Marion county Sheriff's Office said.
The pilot managed to get out of the burning plane after making an emergency landing in a farm field off Howell Prairie Road. He was taken to the hospital, treated and released.
Before being taken away in an ambulance, the pilot told deputies he was forced to make an emergency landing when his single-engine plane experienced some mechanical issues.
The pilot was the only person on-board during the crash, and there were no other reports of injuries. The sheriff's office said he has been flying since his military service during the Vietnam War.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified of the crash.
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