CLARENCE, N.Y. — A pilot was injured and had to be extricated following a small single-engine airplane crash on Saturday afternoon.
The crash happened at 12:50 p.m. just south of the Clarence Aerodrome Airport, east of Transit Road. The Swormville and East Amherst fire departments were the first crews on the scene.
"A second caller was near the downed plane and reported the pilot was trapped in the cockpit and had injuries but was alert and talking," according to a news release from the Amherst Central Fire Alarm Office.
The pilot, 70-year-old Lee Hardy, was eventually freed from the airplane. He was evaluated by Twin City Ambulance at the scene of the crash, then taken to Erie County Medical Center by Mercy Flight.
He was listed in stable condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been called in to investigate. The scene has been secured by the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
The East Amherst, Clarence Center, North Amherst, and Buffalo Airport fire departments assisted at the scene. New York State Police, Clarence Emergency Management, Erie County Emergency Services, and Amherst Police also responded.