Pilot in Sunday Crash at Mansfield Airport Followed Emergency Procedure

Sunday’s plane crash at the Mansfield Municipal Airport was a result of following correct procedure, according airport manager Michael Welch.

“When you lose power like that or you can’t get power during takeoff and you have no other alternative, the recommended procedure is to go straight ahead and put it in the tops of the trees as gently as possible,” Welch said. “That’s exactly what he did.”

The crash, which involved a flight instructor and a student, allegedly occurred during a routine “touch and go” exercise that involved landing on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop.

According to Mansfield police chief Arthur O’Neill, the plane lost power during the exercise.

Welch said that the flight instructor, who took over flight operations when the power cut out, did everything by the book.

“He went straight ahead and put it in the tree,” he said.

The pair climbed out of the plane and down 30 feet from the trees to safety.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and Welch said such examinations take about a year to complete.

“It’s being investigated by the state and the FAA,” he said. “The guys were not hurt, that’s the best part about the whole thing.”