Airplane crash leaves pilot in critical condition with severe burns

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) - An ultralight aircraft crash left a pilot with severe burns Thursday night.

UPDATE: On Friday, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said the pilot remains in critical condition at an area burn center. Before he was taken to the hospital, he told deputies that the plane he was flying caught fire while in the air.

Previous coverage:

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said a 911 call at 7:29 p.m. Thursday alerted them to a plane crash with a pilot injured.

Investigation revealed that a small airplane had taken off from Liberty Landing Airport at Old 210 Highway.

The Sheriff’s Office said the pilot was able to get out of the burning aircraft after it crashed near the airport. A bystander called 911 after the pilot walked back to the airport.

An ambulance transported the man to the hospital with severe burns.

Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department needed more than an hour to locate the wrecked plane in a nearby cornfield. When they arrived, smoke was still coming from the aircraft.

Firefighters from the Fishing River Fire District and Liberty Fire Department helped extinguish the fire. Clay County Sheriff’s Office said nearby railroad tracks were shut down during the investigation and may have sustained damage from the crash.

An investigation into the crash is being turned over to the FAA. The Sheriff’s Office said that the investigation will continue Friday.

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