Taieri Aero Club president Colin Chalmers is giving a light aircraft pilot top marks for quick thinking after he made a successful emergency landing in a paddock west of the Taieri airfield yesterday evening.
The pilot had been undertaking circuit flying at the airfield in a single-engine light sport aircraft when there was some loss of power and he decided to land in the nearby paddock.
He ''didn't try to make it back'' to the airfield, which he was ''never going'' to reach, Mr Chalmers said.
The pilot had ''definitely'' handled the situation well, had followed the correct procedures and had been ''99%'' there with his landing.
The aircraft had clipped the paddock fence in coming in to land, and had received ''a few dents'', but the pilot was uninjured, Mr Chalmers said.
Emergency services, including a Mosgiel fire appliance, attended the incident, after initial fears there may have been a crash, after the aircraft clipped the fence.
A police spokeswoman said they were notified of the incident about 6.40pm.
A small aircraft, possibly home-built, had clipped a fence while the pilot was
coming in to land near School Rd.
The Civil Aviation Authority and Rescue Co-ordination Centre had been notified, she said.
