Two injured after plane makes emergency landing in Hall County

Photo: Gainesville Police Department

A single-engine plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a busy Hall County Road Monday, Feb. 9. Two motorists suffered minor injuries after being struck by the plane and were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Gainesville Police Department Capt. Kevin Holbrook said there were two occupants – a veteran pilot as well as a student pilot – in the aircraft when it experienced a sudden malfunction.

“The investigation is very preliminary,” Holbrook said. “Around noon, we received our first 911 call about a plane crash on Browns Bridge Road at Pearl Nix Parkway. Emergency crews found a single-engine plane that made an emergency landing. During that emergency landing, the plane struck at least three vehicles.”

Holbrook said the plane had taken off from Gainesville’s Lee Gilmore Memorial Airport and was headed for the Cherokee area prior to the malfunction.

“The plane turned around to return to the Gainesville Airport, but unfortunately, could not make it,” Holbrook said.

Holbrook said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident.

“We got very lucky, given the heavy traffic on Browns Bridge Road and the large commercial area in which the plane went down,” Holbrook said. “We’re extremely lucky we didn’t have any serious injuries or a mass casualty-type situation. Give credit to the pilot. He didn’t even hit a power pole or any powerlines coming down. That’s absolutely remarkable on their part.”

The roadway was reopened just after 6:30 p.m. Monday night.