An abandoned, bloodstained plane was mysteriously found wrecked in a secluded Alabama airfield, with no pilot to be found.
On Friday morning, the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department responded to a crash in Baldwin County – located on the Gulf Coast, just east of Mobile – where a small Cessna 182 aircraft reportedly had gone down, as reported by WPMI News.
But when authorities arrived, they found the small aircraft flipped upside down, bloodstains and shattered glass inside, with no sign of a pilot – or anyone else.
‘It was flipped upside down and the occupants were no longer there,’ Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Tom Tyler told AL.com.
‘They apparently had walked away and were transported somewhere,’ he added.
At around 9am Friday morning, the fire department was alerted to a crash involving a Cessna 182 – a lightweight, single-engine, two-seater plane – in a field off Gardner Road and County Road 95.
The last known details of the flight’s route were recorded in data from FlightRadar24, which showed the aircraft circling the Orange Beach area before heading north and ultimately vanishing from the radar, WPMI reported.
First responders and emergency personnel quickly arrived on the scene, prepared to administer first aid to the pilot and any passengers injured in the crash, according to WKRG News.
An abandoned, bloodstained plane was mysteriously found wrecked discovered in a secluded Alabama airfield, with no pilot to be found (pictured)
On Friday morning, the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department responded to a crash in Baldwin County – located on the Gulf Coast, just east of Mobile – where a small Cessna 182 aircraft reportedly had gone down (pictured)
When authorities arrived, they found the small aircraft flipped upside down, bloodstains and shattered glass inside, with no sign of occupants – with Baldwin County Emergency Management Director Tom Tyler (pictured) believing they ‘walked away’
However, all they found was a completely abandoned aircraft, with no occupants in sight – only traces of blood and shattered glass inside the otherwise empty plane.
Images from the crash site, obtained by WKRG, revealed that the plane’s wing appeared to have been damaged, likely from the force of impact with the ground.
‘They had about 50 gallons of fuel onboard,’ Tyler told AL.com. ‘But there was no leaking or no oil that the first responders could see.’
Upon further investigation, tire marks were also discovered at the crash site, hinting at a more puzzling scenario, Tyler explained.
As authorities attempted to find and contact the plane’s owner and missing pilot, initial theories suggested that those on board may have been taken to a medical facility in Florida, WKRG reported.
By Friday afternoon, however, it remained unclear whether the occupants had been identified or located.
‘I’ve not been told of anybody self-reporting to a hospital for any kind of injuries associated with this,’ the EMA director told the outlet.
Tyler also mentioned that he hadn’t heard of any injuries matching the crash, telling AL.com, ‘I certainly have not heard from any area hospitals.’
mages from the crash site revealed that the plane’s wing appeared to have been damaged, likely from the force of impact with the ground (pictured)
Upon further investigation, tire marks were also discovered at the crash site, hinting at a more puzzling scenario (pictured: the field where the small aircraft crashed)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to arrive on Monday, as the situation is not deemed urgent – no one was killed, and the aircraft is now considered abandoned (pictured: first responders on scene of the crash)
Although the discovery was made Friday morning, officials later stated they believe the crash occurred around 5pm Thursday evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to arrive on Monday, as the situation is not deemed urgent – no one was killed, and the aircraft is now considered abandoned.
Friday’s bizarre discovery comes just weeks after two people were killed when their small aircraft crashed near the Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, North Carolina, on June 3.
The cause of the deadly wreck – which also left one passenger seriously injured – was revealed to be a turtle on the runway that the pilot maneuvered to avoid.
A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the pilot had lifted the plane’s right main wheel to avoid striking the turtle, eventually leading to the fatal disaster.
Just before touching down, a communications operator informed the pilot of the turtle. The operator told the NTSB that the pilot landed and traveled about halfway down the runway before lifting the wheel in an attempt to avoid hitting it.
The plane ultimately left the operator’s view. A man cutting grass at the time reported seeing its wings ‘rock back and forth.’
The small aircraft took off again before disappearing over the trees. A witness then heard a ‘loud crash and saw smoke,’ according to the agency.
It was found wedged between two trees in a heavily forested area, around 255 feet away from the runway.
Although the aircraft remained intact, a fire soon broke out and the plane’s wings were completely burned off.
