Sheriff's Office Responds to Aircraft Emergency on Judge Orr Road

On Thursday, August 23, 2018, at approximately 1:00 PM, the Sheriff's Office was notified of an aircraft emergency in a field North of Hwy 24 off Judge Orr Road. Deputies from the Sheriff's Office, along with medical and firefighting personnel from the area, responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, they were informed the pilot took off from Meadow Lake Airport, located at 12850 E Hwy 24 aboard a Piper Saratoga.  The plane started experiencing engine failure and crashed in the field.  The pilot and passenger were able to exit the aircraft and were not injured.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were notified.  The pilot was advised that he would need to have his insurance company transport the aircraft to a suitable facility where the FAA and NTSB would assess the engine malfunction.  The FAA will be the investigating agency and will address any future inquiries for this incident.