San Juan pilot escapes emergency landing without injury


December 13, 2011 · Updated 1:05 PM 

A San Juan Island man escaped an emergency landing without injury early Tuesday when the engine of his single-engine plane failed shortly after take-off.

The 70-year-old pilot, en route to Lopez Island at the time, landed the plane in a pasture near the intersection of Bailer Hill and Douglas roads, at about 9 a.m., moments after taking off from a nearby private airstrip.

The plane, a 1955 Piper Cub, sustained minor damage as a result of the emergency landing, according to the San Juan County Sheriff's Department.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified of the emergency landing for investigation.

 

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