Two men were injured Wednesday morning after their single engine Piper Cherokee crashed at Chandler Municipal Airport.
The plane took off just before 9 a.m. when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit and immediately turned around to put the plane down, said Chandler Fire Department Battalion Chief Paul Nies.
The pilot made a hard landing on the dirt at the airport. Both men, in their 50s, were able to get out of the plane, which caught fire.
One suffered serious burn injuries and was transported to Maricopa Medical Center’s burn unit, Nies said. The second was also injured and was taken to a local hospital.
It is unknown where the men are residents.
Nies said 75 percent of the plane’s fuselage and one wing were destroyed in the subsequent fire.
No structures on the ground were damaged.
The Associated Press is reporting the men were a passenger and a flight instructor. FAA is sending investigators to the scene.
CoiledStrike posted at 10:08 pm on Wed, May 26, 2010.
Do we know names?