Pilot William Lawson talks
on a cell phone near his plane, which made a forced landing Friday in a town
of Stanton cornfield.
Friday, August 01, 2003
Pilot uninjured in forced
landing near Deer Park
By Bob Zientara of the New Richmond News
Pilot William Lawson talks
on a cell phone near his plane, which made a forced landing Friday in a town
of Stanton cornfield.
A 55-year-old rural Somerset man walked away from a forced landing of his vintage 1940s-era amphibious plane Friday morning in a town of Stanton cornfield.
Bill Lawson, the pilot, was flying his 1947 Republic RC-3 to the Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in at Oshkosh.
Shortly after takeoff, Lawson said, he heard a "bang" and began to lose power on his pusher-type engine. He said he wanted to set down in an empty hay field (which turned out to be part of the Bethke Farm in the 1900 block of 200th Avenue in the town of Stanton), but did not make it far enough.
The plane crashed into a cornfield, skidding about 100 yards. Lawson walked to a nearby home to call for help.
The St. Croix County Sheriff¹s Department set up a command post near the scene. Members of the New Richmond and Deer Park Fire Departments responded, along with New Richmond Area Ambulance Service and Deer Park First Responders.
The FAA was due to send an investigator to the crash scene Friday afternoon.. For more, read the Aug. 7 New Richmond News.
