A single-engine plane that had been experiencing mechanical troubles in its flight from Indiana to Lincoln made a crash landing in a field northeast of Lincoln on Thursday evening.Â
Richard Phelps, the 44-year-old pilot of the 2019 Cirrus aircraft, told Lancaster County Sheriff's deputies that the plane first began showing signs of engine trouble near Plattsmouth, but the problems seemed to smooth out after reducing altitude.
Sheriff Terry Wagner said the engine issues flared up again as Phelps and a 60-year-old passenger, both Indiana men, neared Lincoln at about 8:30 p.m.
"He didn't think he could make it to the Lincoln Airport," Wagner said.
The pilot circled away from the city's populated areas and dumped fuel after identifying a field near North 112th Street and Havelock Avenue, where he made the emergency landing, according to the sheriff's office.
No one was injured in the incident. The sheriff's office, Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Waverly Fire and Rescue, Southeast Fire and Rescue and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department hazmat team responded.
Wagner said the plane was equipped with a parachute designed to aid in crash landings. He said the plane was damaged but remained in one piece.
Phelps originally planned to land in Lincoln before continuing on to Utah, Wagner said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.