Pilot lands on rural Erie County road

7/23/2008

CASTALIA, Ohio A Wyoming man escaped injury Tuesday night in an emergency landing on Billings Road near this Erie County community after the engine of his single-engine two-seat aircraft stopped, authorities said.

Dennis Vogler, 56, of Lander, Wyo., the pilot who was flying alone, was not hurt, troopers at the Ohio Highway Patrol s post in Sandusky said.

Mr. Vogler told the troopers he was flying east across Erie County en route to the Lorain County Regional Airport about 7 p.m. when the engine of his amateur-built experimental aircraft suddenly stopped.

The pilot then glided the plane down for about 2 miles from the 3,500-foot altitude and made a safe landing about 7:05 p.m. on Billings Road in Erie County s Groton Township near Castalia, troopers said.

The exact cause of the incident is under investigation by the FAA.

Castalia is about 50 miles southeast of Toledo.