Fri, Jan 23, 2009
Country Club Surrounded By Homes, Businesses
It wasn't the
prettiest shot ever seen at the Prestonwood Country Club Golf
Course... but for pilot Lance Sparks, it was definitely up to
par.
KTXA-11 reports Sparks was flying his Cessna 172E Thursday from
Paris, TX to the Dallas Air Park (F69) when the plane's engine cut
out about three miles north of his destination, over the densely
populated suburb of Plano. Sparks attempted to restart the motor,
but it soon became clear the plane was going down.
"I just had to work with it and do what I know best about
flying," Sparks said. "...You can still fly a plane without an
engine, just not very far."
With his options quickly running out, Sparks set up for a steep
approach onto a fairway at Prestonwood, an exclusive country club
that lies right on the extended centerline to Runway 16 at the air
park.
"I'm real familiar with this area and knew this area was the
clearest around," the 24-year-old pilot told the Plano Courier
Star. "I looked for the straightest and longest green."
After advising the tower at nearby Addison Airport (ADS) of his
situation, Sparks landed the aircraft on an unoccupied tee box on a
par three hole. The plane bounced onto another nearby hole, coming
to rest in a sand trap just after 4:00 pm CST.
No one on the ground was injured, and Sparks walked away from
the scene unharmed. "I'm not too worried about myself," Sparks
said. "I'm just glad I chose an area to land and everyone was
alright."
Sparks says he's been flying for about a year, and has logged
500 hours. The FAA arrived at the scene Thursday night to start its
investigation.
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