Two kids and two adults home safe after their airplane crashed Sunday in Mason County.
The Mason County Sheriff says the Cessna was going from the Hessel in UP heading to the Grand Rapids area when the pilot says he started having engine trouble.
It crashed in field near Sass and Morton Road in Mason County.
Passengers included the pilot’s father, and 12-year old son and 12-year old nephew.
9&10’s Megan Woods has details on what happened leading up to the crash and the miraculous outcome.
People like Jim Wojciechowski, who live nearby, heard the airplane just moments before it hit the ground in Mason County Sunday morning. “I could hear like a go-kart, but it kind of had a helicopter sound to it so I thought I’m going to go outside and see, it sounded closer than normal and I got outside and that was it. I didn’t hear anything anymore, I thought that’s kind of odd.”
The pilot told investigators the plane was having engine troubles and he tried to do an emergency landing.
The plane almost hit a tree line then hit a ditch landing upside down.
All four people on board, including two children lived.
“I went to my buddy’s house and there were ambulances and safety vehicles flying down the road so when I got there I said ‘We gotta go back there’s something going on out here and just drove down the road a quarter mile and there’s this airplane upside down in a field,” Wojciechowski says.
The sight had people driving by and even first responders, thinking the worst but hoping for the best.
Wojciechowski, “It does bring a tear to your eye because it’s like this could have been a disaster.”
Grant Township Fire and Rescue Chief Ronnie Melchert says, “We were out on a plane crash about 30 years ago where it was a fatal and that was not a good outcome but to see all four people here with their families was very gratifying.”
The crash is now being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot and his passengers were taken to Spectrum Hospital in Ludington for minor injuries.
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