A female student pilot was involved in a crash during a solo cross-country flight, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration released on Tuesday. The pilot was navigating a 1968 Cessna 172, a fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft, when it unexpectedly began to falter. The aircraft “sputtered” and “quit,” leading the pilot to urgently contact air traffic control in a bid to make an emergency landing at Waterbury Airport in Plymouth.
Tragically, the pilot was unable to locate the airfield, which features only turf runways. The report detailed that she “could not find the field in time and landed into the trees.” The crash site was at Gentile’s Campground, located at 223 Mount Tobe Road, alarmingly close—less than a half mile—to the intended landing spot.
Footage from the scene depicted the plane in a harrowing state, overturned and perilously close to recreational vehicles, propane tanks, and electrical lines at the campground. Fortunately, despite the severity of the incident, no campground visitors were harmed, and the crash did not impact the campsites themselves.
The pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed, sustained serious injuries and was subsequently transported to Waterbury Hospital. Her injuries, while severe, are reportedly not life-threatening, as confirmed by Terryville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Sekorski. The aircraft was declared “destroyed” in the aftermath of the incident.
Chief Sekorski noted that the pilot embarked on her journey from New York, although the exact departure location remains unclear. The crash brings to light the curious status of Waterbury Airport, which despite being non-operational for years, apparently still figures in aviation incidents. Over the past decade, the local fire crew has responded to five such events involving the old airfield. This latest accident underscores the complexities and inherent risks of flight training and raises questions about the clarity of navigational aids available to training pilots.