Rome, Oneida Co. (WSYR-TV) – A small plane heading from Syracuse lost its only engine and landed in a field a few hundred yards away from Delta Lake, in the northern outskirts of the City of Rome early Thursday morning.
The Oneida County Sheriff's Department says the pilot, a Brewerton man whose name was not immediately released, was operating a single-engine turbo prop plane, owned by FedEx. The plane had departed Syracuse’s Hancock Airport and was heading to Plattsburgh with cargo on board.
Around 7:45, the pilot reported the engine failed, leaving the aircraft with no power. At the time, the plane was about 15 miles from Griffiss Airport. Sheriff’s Deputies say while on approach to land, the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude and air speed.
Investigators say when the plane dropped below the clouds, which were about 1,000 feet up, the pilot made the decision to either crash land in Delta Lake or a less populated area west of the lake. Sheriff’s Deputies say the pilot was able to land in a large field adjacent to the intersections of Elmerhill and Chmelewski roads.
The pilot was not injured and was the aircraft was not damaged.
