A Wisconsin pilot died Sunday afternoon when his jet crashed into a field near the Mayfield Graves County Airport.
Pilot Dies in Kentucky Crash
Emergency responders arrived near Interstate 69 and Kentucky Highway 131 shortly after 911 calls reported a downed aircraft at 2:08 p.m., according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Crews found the aircraft engulfed in flames in a field just off Spence Chapel Road. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the plane, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
The aircraft involved was an L-39 Albatros, an older military-style jet, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Jon Hayden stated that the pilot and his daughter were returning to Wisconsin from an air show in Mississippi and had stopped at the Mayfield airport to refuel, as reported by LEX 18 News.
Both pilots were flying separate L-39 Albatros jets.
After taking off from the airport, the pilot radioed that he was experiencing an issue and intended to return to the airfield, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
His plane went down in the field shortly after the transmission.
The second L-39 Albatros, flown by his daughter, turned back and landed safely at the airport, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
NTSB Investigates Jet Wreckage
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified and responded to the crash site, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities restricted access to the area while investigators examined the scene.
An investigator with the NTSB would begin documenting the scene.
An investigator with the NTSB would begin examining the crash.
The aircraft would be recovered and taken to a secure facility for further examination, according to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.