LINDALE — Two people were injured Friday afternoon when a small plane made an emergency landing in a Lindale field.
Smith County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Larry Christian said the pilot and passenger were taken to Tyler hospitals to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash, which happened just after 2 p.m. Friday. Their conditions were not known at press time.
The pilots notified authorities of engine trouble about 15 miles out from the airport where they were headed, according to scanner traffic just before 2 p.m.
The plane went down in a field just north of Interstate 20 near County Road 434. A parachute deployed during the crash could be seen from the roadway.
Chuck Gradick, who lives in the area where the plane went down, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that he heard the crash and ran to help.
Gradick said he found the plane with two occupants, one he described as being disoriented due to a head injury, and called 911. When EMTs arrived Gradick guided them to the scene.
Fire and rescue authorities responded to the crash, and Federal Aviation Administration investigators were on their way to the site, according to a statement from the FAA.
The agency said a Cirrus SR 22 clipped a house while making an emergency landing 9 miles northwest of Tyler at about 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to a statement.
The plane had left Terrell with a planned destination of Gladewater, according to the FAA.
“While en route, the pilot experienced a loss of power and deployed the parachute for landing. The plane clipped a house during its descent. Ground injuries and damage have not been reported to the FAA,” according to the agency’s statement.
The FAA will release the aircraft tail number after being verified by investigators.