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Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Plane crash sparks mystery in Alabama as pilot was nowhere to be found
An abandoned, bloodstained plane was mysteriously found wrecked in a secluded Alabama airfield, with no pilot to be found. On Friday morning, the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department responded to a crash in Baldwin County - located on the Gulf Coast, just east of Mobile - where a small Cessna 182 aircraft reportedly had gone down, as reported by WPMI News. But when authorities arrived, they found the small aircraft flipped upside down, bloodstains and shattered glass inside, with no sign of a pilot - or anyone else. 'It was flipped upside down and the occupants were no longer there,' Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Tom Tyler told 'They apparently had walked away and were transported somewhere,' he added. At around 9am Friday morning, the fire department was alerted to a crash involving a Cessna 182 - a lightweight, single-engine, two-seater plane - in a field off Gardner Road and County Road 95. The last known details of the flight's route were recorded in data from FlightRadar24, which showed the aircraft circling the Orange Beach area before heading north and ultimately vanishing from the radar, WPMI reported. First responders and emergency personnel quickly arrived on the scene, prepared to administer first aid to the pilot and any passengers injured in the crash, according to WKRG News. However, all they found was a completely abandoned aircraft, with no occupants in sight - only traces of blood and shattered glass inside the otherwise empty plane. Images from the crash site, obtained by WKRG, revealed that the plane's wing appeared to have been damaged, likely from the force of impact with the ground. 'They had about 50 gallons of fuel onboard,' Tyler told 'But there was no leaking or no oil that the first responders could see.' Upon further investigation, tire marks were also discovered at the crash site, hinting at a more puzzling scenario, Tyler explained. As authorities attempted to find and contact the plane's owner and missing pilot, initial theories suggested that those on board may have been taken to a medical facility in Florida, WKRG reported. By Friday afternoon, however, it remained unclear whether the occupants had been identified or located. 'I've not been told of anybody self-reporting to a hospital for any kind of injuries associated with this,' the EMA director told the outlet. Tyler also mentioned that he hadn't heard of any injuries matching the crash, telling 'I certainly have not heard from any area hospitals.' Although the discovery was made Friday morning, officials later stated they believe the crash occurred around 5pm Thursday evening. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to arrive on Monday, as the situation is not deemed urgent - no one was killed, and the aircraft is now considered abandoned. Friday's bizarre discovery comes just weeks after two people were killed when their small aircraft crashed near the Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, North Carolina, on June 3. The cause of the deadly wreck - which also left one passenger seriously injured - was revealed to be a turtle on the runway that the pilot maneuvered to avoid. A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the pilot had lifted the plane's right main wheel to avoid striking the turtle, eventually leading to the fatal disaster. Just before touching down, a communications operator informed the pilot of the turtle. The operator told the NTSB that the pilot landed and traveled about halfway down the runway before lifting the wheel in an attempt to avoid hitting it. The plane ultimately left the operator's view. A man cutting grass at the time reported seeing its wings 'rock back and forth.' The small aircraft took off again before disappearing over the trees. A witness then heard a 'loud crash and saw smoke,' according to the agency. It was found wedged between two trees in a heavily forested area, around 255 feet away from the runway. Although the aircraft remained intact, a fire soon broke out and the plane's wings were completely burned off.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dollar figures starting to mount up on Baldwin County flash flood damage
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — The cities of Spanish Fort and Daphne have declared states of emergency after last weekend's flooding rains. Happy National Pet Day from News 5's furry family members! Dollar figures are starting to come in on the amount of damage around Baldwin County as flood victims are halfway through a 10-day reporting period, picking up the pieces in towns and around Baldwin County after a ton of rain in a short amount of time. 'Certain parts of the county just got lots and lots of rain,' Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Tom Tyler said. Damage assessments are underway, trying to put a dollar amount on all the damage. 'We have roughly half a million dollars of damage just to our county maintained roads,' Tyler said. 'Most of that has been completed, work has been done.' Still Road in Bay Minette was scheduled to reopen late Friday. Repairs to Cemetery Road in Perdido are expected to be completed late next week. Baldwin County would need just over $1 million in damage to qualify for financial relief. That figure and damage assessments would then be added to a state database to determine if storm victims would eventually be eligible for federal relief. 'I would strongly recommend they take care of themselves through a volunteer organization, their private insurance,' Tyler said. 'The more long-term outlook would be to see what kind of response the federal government is going to have in something like this.' Spring Hill College baseball players suspended after on-field brawl Folks still working on damaged properties in need of help are encouraged to contact Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters. Tyler describes them as an organization of organizations that can put homeowners in touch with non-profits, church and civic groups that can help. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
