Single-engine plane performs ‘emergency landing’ in field near State College. What we know
A single-engine plane flying from Virginia was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday in a field by University Drive near State College, according to both public officials and public information.
Neither the pilot nor the single passenger in the four-seat aircraft was injured, said Capt. Matthew Wilson, assistant chief of the State College Borough Police Department.
The reason for the emergency landing was initially unclear. But, on Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary incident report that better explained Wednesday’s emergency landing. According to the FAA, the pilot declared an emergency after encountering turbulence at 3,000 feet. Then, during that turbulence, the pilot hit their head and became disoriented.
A State College police officer told the CDT that no medical aid was administered on scene. In its report, the FAA listed the overall damage to the aircraft as “minor” and noted a “dent in (the) right wing.” The report also listed the number of injuries as zero.
Based on information from FlightAware, which bills itself as the world’s largest flight tracking platform, the plane left Leesburg, Virginia, at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday. The destination was not immediately known but, around 10:45 a.m., it was forced to land in State College — and could apparently not reach the State College Regional Airport.
Airport Director Bryan Rodgers told the CDT he was aware of the incident but did not have additional information. Because the emergency landing occurred so far from the airport, he said the airport’s aircraft rescue and firefighting crews were not dispatched. (A police vehicle was instead seen sitting beside the aircraft earlier in the afternoon.)
The plane is registered to a limited liability company, so the owner’s identity was also not known. The registered address is to a two-bedroom condo in Ashburn, Virginia.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM.
