Small Plane Crashes at Hartwell Airstrip
Wind is being blamed for causing a single-engine plane to crash Wednesday
A representative from the Federal Aviation Administration will be in Hartwell today to investigate a small plane crash.
It happened Wednesday morning at a small air strip on Mt. Olivet Road in Hartwell.
Hart County EMA Director Terrell Partain said the pilot and his father were attempting to take off when the plane went off the runway.
“They were trying to take off and the wind caught them just as they were getting off the ground,” Partain said. “It pushed them over to the left and pull them around. They got off center just enough for the wing tip to catch the bushes on the left side.”
Partain said the owner of the plane is an experienced pilot and former commercial pilot. He said the pilot and his father were planning to fly to a location in South Carolina when the accident happened.
According to Partain, the pilot’s father suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The plane was a vintage single-engine Cessna from the 1940’s that Partain said had recently been restored.
According to Partain, the FAA investigation is required in any plane accident.
“Any aircraft that has a tail number on it, the FAA has to investigate,” he said. “They’ve already interviewed the pilot so they will come out and take a few pictures while they move it. It’s not a complicated thing, they just have to notify them.”
The Pilot’s name has not been released.