Small plane makes emergency landing in Preston
Aug. 19—PRESTON — No one was injured when a single-engine aircraft lost power and made an emergency landing in a field late Saturday afternoon.
Poquetanuck Deputy Fire Chief Ron York said firefighters were called at 5:57 p.m. to the scene, directly across from a commuter parking lot near Routes 12 and 2A and the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge.
The two occupants of the small, green-and-white plane, both men, had already exited when firefighters arrived, York said. He said the pilot relayed that he had "lost an engine" and was following emergency procedures.
"And that's how he ended up here," York said.
The occupants of the plane declined to comment.
York said crews will remain on the scene until FAA agents arrive to begin conducting their investigation. He said he expected to be told either to begin the process of moving the plane or to ensure arrangements are made to do so.
The pilot told York the plane was traveling from Martha's Vineyard to New Jersey when the emergency occurred.
York said this was the first time in his career he had been called to an emergency plane landing.
As of 7:45 p.m., Federal Aviation Administration and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials were working around the plane.
Robert Shuler, DEEP's emergency response coordinator, said the immediate plan was to evacuate any fuel around the aircraft Saturday night in anticipation of the plane being removed from the field.
