OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) - A small plane, which appears to be a Cessna 172 with Auburn University affiliation, crashed Sunday in a wooded area near a residential section along Watson Street in Opelika. The aircraft, reportedly piloted by a young female, was carrying no other passengers.
Julian Slaughter, a witness to the incident, recounted, "I was just working in the yard and I heard a loud popping engine sound and I turned around and looked and the plane was losing altitude so I was running towards where the plane was going down and then I heard it hit the trees and then I made it to the plane and the pilot was already out sitting on the wing of the plane, obviously in shock but she was fine thank goodness and I just asked her if anybody else was in the plane and she said no just me yeah pretty scary."
Opelika first responders quickly arrived at the scene and ensured the pilot's safety. The pilot, whose status as an AU student is yet to be confirmed, was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to investigate the cause of the crash. Preliminary reports suggest that the plane had just taken off from Auburn University Regional Airport, located nearby.
The crash resulted in a fuel spill, prompting the deployment of a hazardous material team. The area around the plane has been cordoned off as the investigation proceeds.
Slaughter expressed relief the pilot emerged unharmed, stating, "She actually had not a scratch on her that I saw so it was awesome that she was able to walk away and be fine - she was worried about the plane and I told her that’s just stuff it didn't matter."
We do expect Auburn University will release a statement later on Sunday afternoon. We will share it with you when we get it.
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