Landing in the trees is hardly ever a first choice, but it worked out for one pilot on Monday morning. Around 11:30 a.m. local time, a pilot flying a rental Cessna 172 from Robertson Airport crashed into a tree in the parking lot of an industrial equipment company adjacent to the airport. Security camera footage of the Carling Technologies parking lot shows the 1981 Skyhawk appearing to enter a spin, when it collides with a tree. As the top of the tree snaps, the aircraft is spun around and strikes the ground mostly upright.
The pilot, 79-year old Manfred Forst, was reportedly taken to the hospital, but released after evaluation with no significant injuries. “I was very fortunate I got out of it without any real injuries,” Forst told his local NBC affiliate. “I’m just so thankful.” Initial reports suggest a small fuel leak, possibly from a fuel sump, may have led to a loss of engine power.
