Vintage plane crashes near rural cafe, injuring 2 people, NC State Highway Patrol says
The pilot of a vintage airplane crashed near a rural cafe in Alexander County on Friday afternoon, injuring himself and a passenger, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
The single-engine 1947 Pietenpol crashed as the pilot tried to land in a private field near the 5500 block of Rink Dam Road, Trooper Christopher Casey said.
Casey identified the pilot as 74-year-old Gregory Alan Deal of Morganton. Deal and his passenger were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the trooper said. The Highway Patrol didn’t release the passenger’s name and age.
The plane crashed about 12:50 p.m. near Crossroads Grill.
The Highway Patrol secured the scene, and the FAA will investigate the crash, Casey said.
Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer