GAINESVILLE - A small single-engine plane that made an emergency landing in Gainesville Tuesday afternoon at an intersection just east of downtown was removed Tuesday night.
The plane went down near Church Street Manor Apartments around 3:15 p.m.
Gainesville Police Lt.Jeff Harris said the pilot, 58-year-Ralph Duggan of Cleveland, Georgia, suffered some minor injuries
"He does have some visible injuries he was taken and treated for, considering the circumstances, I would consider them very minor," Harris said. Harris said there was also a passenger, identified as Gale Moore of Gainesville, also 58.
Moore and Duggan were treated and released at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Wendell Dailey got to the scene first.
Dailey heard the plane come over his Hall County Inspector's office, the power went out, and then he heard the crash.
"There was a lady standing in the parking lot, screaming, looking toward the plane," said Dailey. "I thought someone was still in it so I dove across the wing and looked in the cockpit. I looked in the cockpit and nobody was there."
"I saw smoke in the cockpit and a small amount of leaking fuel and I yelled for everyone to get away from the plane," Dailey added.
Duggan said the plane had just taken off from Lee Gilmer Airport when he started having engine problems and was attempting to set the plane down.
The plane snapped power lines and clipped a pole causing a massive outage according to Georgia Power engineer Hal Gresham.
Police blocked streets surrounding the site, as aviation authorities responded. The wreckage was in the area of Center Street and Chamblee Court off Prior Street.
Lt.Harris said the plane was removed and the crash site cleared shortly after 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
May 10th, 2025
11:57PM
