Small plane crashes at Ohio's Butler County Regional Airport

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - A small plane crashed at the Butler County Regional Airport Tuesday morning. A medical helicopter took the pilot to UC Medical Center.

The plan crashed at about 9:45 a.m. at the airport. It ended up on its top. The pilot was identified as Harry Rosche, III.

Investigators said the engine quit shortly after takeoff. He circled back but was unable to land. Hamilton Fire Chief Mark Mercer said the plane’s engine stopped, and the pilot tried to make it back to the airport but crashed short of the runway, on airport property.

“With the extrication tools, just like you would with an auto accident, we cut apart little pieces of the plane so that we could remove the pilot without any further injuries,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Mark Mercer.

The pilot, a man, was the only person on board the 1974 Grumman. He had to be cut out of the plane, and was flown by medical helicopter to UC Medical Center.

The airplane’s registration number comes back to a man in Pennsylvania, but that does not mean the owner was flying the aircraft.

The name and medical condition of the pilot have not been released.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.