Aircraft Emergency Lands In Jackson Hay Field

A single-engine airplane made an emergency landing in a hay field on the Jackson County/Smith County line, just off Salt Lick Creek Road Tuesday morning.

Jackson County EMA Public Information Officer Derek Woolbright said the Memphis FAA Control Tower contacted Jackson County 9-1-1 around 9:00am. He said units were asked to have the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department confirm that the aircraft had safely landed at the Jackson County Airport as expected. Woolbright said when deputies arrived at the airport, there was no plane.

“We were able to get some GPS coordinates,” Woolbright said. “Our dispatchers, they really worked their tail off. They did a great job helping our people to locate the aircraft. Got those GPS coordinates, we were able to pinpoint pretty much precisely where they were at. They were located right at the Jackson County, Smith County line.”

Woolbright said neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured, and the plane was found intact after engine failure. He said both individuals refused treatment and transport. The FAA will conduct an investigation.

“It is a situation that we have dealt with before, but it is by no means a common occurrence,” Woolbright said. “I think this would be the third situation like this that I’ve dealt with in 15 years.”

He said units from Macon County joined in to help Jackson and Smith with the search. Woolbright said the plane was traveling from Murfreesboro to Ohio before making an emergency declaration.

“We rely on our 9-1-1 dispatchers,” Woolbright said. “They’re taking that information, they’re getting those GPS coordinates in these situations, and they’re kind of our lifeline in those situations to locate where they’re at. It’s a whole lot of, for lack of a better term, phone tag. They’re calling back and forth with the FAA and different agencies.”

Woolbright said the plane was located at approximately 10:00am.