Investigators sift through clues in two emergency plane landings
CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER
BURNET COUNTY — The Federal Aviation Administration has launched investigations into two emergency plane landings — one in the middle of the night on Texas 71 — in two days in Burnet and Llano counties, according to reports by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The latest incident occurred about 3:15 p.m. April 13 in far northwestern Burnet County.
The pilot and a passenger in a single-engine Cessna reported trouble and scrambled to find a location to land.
“(The plane was) on its way from San Angelo to Taylor when the engine apparently quit working,” DPS Sgt. David Murphy said. “It landed in a field off County Road 103 and FM 1487.”
The two occupants were not injured, he added. The FAA is investigating.
Another FAA investigation involves the emergency landing of a twin-engine Piper Seneca aircraft around 10:15 p.m. April 11 on Texas 71, 1.2 miles northwest of Llano.
A pilot told the trooper at the scene he was forced to land on the highway.
“(The aircraft) was going from Horseshoe Bay to San Angelo when it ran out of fuel,” Murphy said. “It didn’t get its landing gear down.”
No injuries were reported.
connie@thepicayune.com