A pilot is nowhere to be found after a small plane crashed into a field in Alabama. Adding to the mystery, authorities found blood inside the empty plane on Friday, June 27. Reports say that around 10 a.m., the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department received alerts about a Cessna 182 aircraft that had gone down in Baldwin County.
At the crash site, officials discovered the single-engine plane flipped upside down in an open field. The crash appeared serious, but the most puzzling details were the absence of a pilot and passengers. Just broken glass, blood inside the cabin, and tyre tracks in the grass.
According to Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Tom Tyler the occupants may have exited the aircraft following the crash and were likely transported elsewhere. “It was flipped upside down, and the occupants were no longer there,” he told AL.com.
First responders had prepared to assist any injured parties, but no one was found at the scene, and no hospitals in the vicinity have reported treating anyone matching the expected injuries.
According to reports, officials believe that the plane went down late Thursday, June 26. Upon impact, it sustained damage to at least one wing. Despite carrying about 50 gallons of fuel, officials noted there was no visible leak or sign of spilt oil at the site. There were no calls for medical assistance at the wreckage on Thursday or Friday, only a call to report a plane spotted in a field.
Investigators have attempted to contact the registered owner of the plane and identify the pilot, but as of now, there has been no confirmation of their whereabouts or condition.
Partial flight data showed the aircraft had circled Orange Beach and then proceeded to fly north, but the tracking abruptly ended, leaving authorities with few clues. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will probe the incident on June 30, when it visits the crash site.