Plane Crashes On Middle School Football Field In Ohio

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OH — A small airplane crashed Tuesday on the football field of an Ohio middle school, according to authorities.

The crash occurred about 11 a.m. at Mayfield Middle School in Mayfield Heights, police said. When first responders arrived, the plane’s three occupants had exited the aircraft, according to police, who said the trio was taken to a hospital to receive treatment for injuries not believed to be life-threatening. No one on the ground was hurt.

The plane was being flown by a pilot trainee when the aircraft had a mechanical malfunction during a training exercise, Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Ray Santiago said during a press conference streamed on Facebook by Fox 8 News. There were two other pilots in the plane at the time, one of whom took over the aircraft and attempted an emergency landing, according to Santiago, who said the victims’ injuries were minor.

“This is probably the best-case scenario given what they were dealing with,” he said.

The highway patrol is investigating the crash, with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration, which was on the scene Tuesday, according to Santiago.