Pilot Survives Small Plane Crash Near Orange-Lawrence County Line

Photo Courtesy of the Indiana State Police

Written from press release

PAOLI, Ind. — A pilot was rescued early Sunday morning after a single-engine plane crashed in a heavily wooded area near the Orange-Lawrence County line, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The crash was reported around 9:38 p.m. Saturday, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alerted Orange County 911 Dispatch to a possible downed aircraft. The FAA relayed multiple GPS coordinates in real time, and Sheriff Davy Henderson and deputies Devin Qualkenbush, Ryan Duckett, and Glenn Schmidt launched an immediate ground search in rugged terrain.

Working through the night alongside multiple agencies, including the Indiana State Police, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Paoli Police Department (drone team), and several EMS and fire departments, searchers used unmanned aerial systems equipped with thermal imaging to locate the wreckage.

At approximately 4:00 a.m. Sunday, rescuers found the aircraft in dense woods near Old Vincennes Road. The pilot was alive and suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials. EMS personnel and deputies carried the pilot out of the woods on a stretcher to waiting medical units.

“Our dispatchers set the tone for this entire operation,” Sheriff Henderson said. “They took the FAA’s call, plotted changing coordinates, kept every team aligned, and enabled our deputies and partners to move quickly and safely in very difficult terrain. We’re grateful for the teamwork that brought this to a successful outcome.”

The Indiana State Police and FAA will continue investigating the cause of the crash. No additional information about the pilot has been released.

Agencies involved in the coordinated response included:

• Orange County Sheriff’s Department
• Orange County 911 Communications Center
• Indiana State Police (Bloomington and Jasper districts)
• Lawrence and Martin County Sheriff’s Offices
• Paoli Police Department drone team
• Orange, Lawrence, and Martin County EMS/Fire
• Federal Aviation Administration

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department extended its thanks to all first responders, dispatchers, and partner agencies who participated in the search and rescue effort.

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