BATAVIA, Ohio — A small plane went down shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday near Sporty’s Pilot Shop at the Clermont County Airport, according to initial emergency radio traffic, but both people on board were reported uninjured.
Fire and EMS crews were dispatched to the area of Sporty’s Drive and Taylor Road after the aircraft reportedly failed to gain enough altitude on takeoff and went down in a field beyond the runway, between the runway and Old State Route 74, radio traffic indicated. An airport employee who witnessed the crash from a distance called it in, according to the traffic, estimating the aircraft was traveling about 75 mph and had become airborne before going down.
Clermont County Fire/EMS dispatched multiple engines and medic units, along with an all-terrain vehicle unit for the off-road location, and set up a fire ground and airport command post while crews searched the field, radio traffic showed. Dispatchers described two people on board — described on the radio as an instructor and a student.
Within roughly a half hour, units on scene reported finding a single plane upright in the field and both occupants out of the aircraft, according to radio traffic. Crews said the pair were being walked back to Sporty’s and that both appeared uninjured; medic units checked them out at the scene, and radio traffic indicated neither required transport to a hospital.
Airport operations were temporarily halted while responders confirmed the area was secure, according to the traffic. The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Clermont County Sheriff’s Office responded, and incident command was turned over to the State Highway Patrol roughly 45 minutes after the initial dispatch, radio traffic indicated.
The information contained in this story was obtained from initial emergency radio traffic monitored by the Clermont Guardian and has not been confirmed by officials. Details may change.