Police are investigating a “Single Engine Plane Crash!!” near here. No comment on what happened but it looks like a pretty costly but successful off-airport 
landing from the single picture in the paper. Still, I got a bit of a giggle when I read the very brief, locally written article (emphasis mine):
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – A single engine plane crashed Wednesday afternoon around 2:00 in Shallotte, according to Emergency Service Director Scott Garner.
The Shallotte Police Department said the plane went down at 1143 Whiteville Road, just west of West Brunswick High School.
There was one person on the plane at the time of the crash who suffered minor injuries. The police department said the passenger was out of the plane and walking around.
Stay with WECT and WECT.com for more details as they become available.
Copyright 2011 WECT. All rights reserved.
Far be it from me to be a Monday morning quarterback before all of the results are in but in my ever so humble opinion an airplane with only a passenger on board is pretty much destined to crash. Wonder what he did with the pilot?!?
Ahh, but reading it – the pilot was IN the plane, the passenger was ON the plane and must have jumped off to walk around during/after the crash. I think the passenger was the problem as he should have sat down with a seatbelt inside the plane like he was told.
“Wonder what he did with the pilot?”
Just a guess…
Left him behind at the fuel pumps?
Hah! Glad the guy was ok.
Clearly the passenger strapped to the plane (as Tracey says) caused a serious CG problem! 😉