Two persons escaped injury Saturday afternoon when their experimental aircraft crashed in an area off Highway PP north of Cabool.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said two Rolla men walked away from the scene. It said the cockpit filled with smoke after takeoff from the Cabool Memorial Airport. The crash occurred as the pilot attempted to return to the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that the 2013 Zenith Zodiac 601 was owned by Paul Darrell Ownby, professor emeritus at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The incident was reported about 1.5 miles from U.S. 63 and off Highway PP, which is located west of the Cabool airport. The FAA said the aircraft crashed into trees under unknown circumstances. Emergency personnel were called at about 3:30 p.m.
It is the third airplane crash in Texas County in the last year. The first one claimed a life near Summersville about a year ago. The second one occurred in July north of the Houston Memorial Airport. The pilot escaped harm.