[JYO] Plane Down, Minor Injuries

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Plane Down, Minor  Injuries
_Molly Novotny_ (mailto:) 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




May 30, 2006 -- A light sport aircraft crashed shortly before 2 p.m. while  
attempting to take off today from the Leesburg Executive Airport. 
Pilot John Calla said he had a ânormal departureâ but then the plane  began 
drifting to the right and the left wing dipped and he couldnât get  the plane 
to respond.  
âI tried as best I could to level the aircraft off,â he said, but the  
plane 
hit the grass on the west side of runway 17, bounced and then  skidded onto 
the runway.  
The plane, which only weighs 650 pounds, was carrying Calla and an  aviation 
electrician. The passenger was taken to Inova Loudoun Hospitalâs  Cornwall 
facility to be treated for minor injuries. Calla said his  passenger was 
complaining of a sore ankle but that he could stand on it.  
Despite the accident, the planeâs passenger cabin was intact.  
âThe structural integrity of the aircraft is there,â Calla said. It was  
his 
first accident while flying. He had flown to Leesburg from the  
York-Thomasville Airport in Pennsylvania this morning to service another  light 
sport plane 
he keeps stored at the Leesburg field.  
Airport Director Tim Deike said he was amazed the plane did not sustain  more 
damage.  
The Loudoun County Fire Rescue Department and Virginia State Police  were on 
the scene and were helping facilitate the removal of the aircraft  from the 
runway. The airport remained closed until the plane could be  towed and the 
gasoline cleaned up. Calla said there was about 20 gallons  of 93 octane fuel 
in 
the tank.

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