Plane crashes at Robbinsville Airport; injuries reported

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ROBBINSVILLE — A small, homemade plane crashed early Thursday afternoon near the Trenton-Robbinsville Airport.

The  Sportsman GS-2 skidded off a runway around 1:30 p.m., according to the FAA, which said the pilot was the only person on board. The FAA said it is investigating the incident.

Photo journalist Brian McCarthy said the plane hit the the first tree nearest the runway but didn't flip over.  "The plane is totally aluminum and covered with a canvas that protected the plane," McCarthy said.

Robbinsville Police said the the 79-year-old pilot was landing the yellow plane when he lost control. The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was outside of the plane when police and paramedics arrived, according to police, and was hospitalized with facial injuries.

The plane is registered to Pedersen Bjarnemartin of New York, according to the FAA, but did not disclose the name of the pilot.

The plane is manufactured by Glasair Aviation and is built from a kit by the purchaser.

The airport is located on Sharon Road near the  Mary Run Country Club.

Chief meteorologist Dan Zarrow said "runway 11/29 at Trenton-Robbinsville is oriented east-west. Yes, it was windy. However, depending on which way the aircraft was facing, this would have been mainly a headwind or a tailwind, not a dangerous crosswind. Winds were blowing anywhere from 17-23 mph with a gust of 25 at the time of the incident, according to Zarrow.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The incorrect aircraft registration number was provided by the FAA immediately after the incident. The correct number was provided on Friday. The article was edited to reflect the correct information.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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