No Injuries, But Plane Ends Up In A Ditch

A Yorkville, IL pilot lost his plane while hand propping it at the Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR) in Sugar Grove this week.

The pilot was not injured in the incident that happened late Wednesday morning, December 12, according to the Northwest Herald.

"Well, he untied his plane, a single-engine Piper Cherokee, to go flying and when he hit the starter, it would not get revved up," Rieser said. "He got out and hand-turned the propeller and it took off."

The pilot and owner of the Cherokee (file photo of type, above) was identified by the local police as Daniel R. Ingraham of Yorkville.

"It took off without the pilot," Aurora Police Sgt. Jim Coursey said. "It went 150 feet west into a grassy ditch approximately 200 feet south of the taxiway. The airplane did sustain damage. The FAA was advised and they will investigate."

Airport officials said an airport front-end loader picked up the plane and re-located it back to its parking spot an eighth of a mile from where it ended up. 

Ingraham did not comment about the incident while at the airport.

FMI: www.eaa1000.av.org/safety/handprop/handprop.htm, www.auroraairport.com/home.htm