A private aircraft crashes west of Muncie Airport, injuring the pilot and two pedestrians

Muncie, Indiana – The Muncie city government announced on Monday that a small private jet had fallen along a pedestrian trail in a rural region, just west of the Delaware County Regional Airport.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley informed News 8 that at approximately 10:26 a.m., the deputies received a call. A small plane crash near the Muncie airport was reported on Monday.

When deputies arrive, they discover the aircraft crashed close to Shaffer and Riggin roads on the Cardinal Greenway walking trail.

Stanley reports that two of the three injured individuals were trail users who were strolling when the jet crashed. He omitted to mention how they were hurt.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Stanley said. “(Imagine) you’re out doing some exercise and then you get hit by a plane.”

The three individuals were transported to Muncie’s IU Ball Memorial Hospital. Stanley stated that the pilot was then sent to an Indianapolis hospital to receive additional care.

Subsequently, the Piper Cherokee from Bloomington crashed at 10:24 a.m., approximately half a mile (0.80 kilometers) from a runway approach at Delaware County Regional Airport, according to Tim Baty, director of the Delaware County Airport Authority, during a news conference. The pilot was the only person on board.

Employees of American Electric Power who were nearby used fire extinguishers to put out a fire in the tail of the aircraft and debris, according to Baty.

Before he could be rescued, the pilot became stuck in the debris of the aircraft, according to Muncie Fire Chief Dan Burford.

The identities of those hurt were not made public right away.

The plane, according to crash reconstructionists at the scene, appeared to be coming from the north-northwest, cut a few trees, and then touched down on the trail.

What caused the crash was not disclosed by officials.

While crews were on the site, travelers had been urged to stay away from the area. How long the area’s roads will remain closed was unknown. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were their route to support the inquiry.