SIMSBURY — When local firefighters arrived at the scene of a plane crash Tuesday night, they had an unusual, but welcome problem — there were no victims, the fire chief said.
The small plane had overshot the runway at Simsbury Airport, traveled about 250 feet, plowed through a wire fence and into a greenhouse, or hoop house, on a neighboring farm, Fire Chief James Baldis said Wednesday. Then the pilot, who apparently wasn’t injured, went home before authorities arrived, Baldis said.
A farmer discovered the plane about an hour later and called police at 8:20 p.m., Baldis said. The plane had gone through the hoop house and became entangled in the plastic that covers half-circle hoops to keep crops warm. The aircraft also was damaged, he said.
“The farmer went to do some work in his field and found there was a plane in his hoop house,” Baldis said. “When we arrived on scene, there was no one there.”
Firefighters learned that an acquaintance had been flying in another plane behind the pilot. Once the second plane landed safely, the pilot who crashed drove off with the acquaintance before authorities arrived, Baldis said.
The pilot who crashed had been taking the plane in for service, Baldis said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis said police are working with the FAA on the probe.
As far as whether there will be any charges for leaving the scene of a crash, Davis didn’t know.
“At this point, it’s kind of preliminary to say anything about charges,” he said.
Correction: The story has been updated to reflect the pilot who crashed drove away with a second person.
