In Brief: Pilot Accidentally Turns Off Fuel Switch, Flips Plane In Albany County

A pilot accidentally turned off the fuel switch mid-flight on his plane on Wednesday morning and crash landed in rural Albany County. He suffered minor injuries.

MH
Mark Heinz

July 03, 20241 min read

A pilot suffered only minor injuries when a small plane crashed Wednesday after shutting off the plane’s fuel. The aircraft flipped while making an emergency landing in Albany County.
A pilot suffered only minor injuries when a small plane crashed Wednesday after shutting off the plane’s fuel. The aircraft flipped while making an emergency landing in Albany County. (Albany County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

A lucky pilot suffered only minor injuries early Wednesday when a plane flipped over after making an emergency landing in rural Albany County early Wednesday.

Apparently, the pilot, whose identity was not released, inadvertently turned the plane’s fuel switch to “off,’ killing the engine in mid-flight, according to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

The crash of the small, single-engine aircraft was reported at about 9 a.m. near Windy Ridge Road, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Despite this, the pilot managed to land the plane successfully, but it overturned due to the rugged terrain. The pilot sustained only minor cuts and is in good condition,” according to a statement from the Sheriff’s office.

Several other agencies responded to the crash site, including local firefighters.

A call to the sheriff’s office from Cowboy State Daily was not returned by publication time.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.

Authors

MH

Mark Heinz

Outdoors Reporter