Small plane crashes Tuesday at New Albany-Union County Airport

New Albany, MS- What caused a small plane to crash about noon Tuesday, August 2, at the New Albany-Union County Airport is unknown, pending an investigation by federal authorities.

The Cessna 150J, a two-seat, single-engine airplane manufactured in 1968, apparently crashed from a relatively low altitude and low speed. Initial indications were that the pilot walked away without serious injuries.

Union County and New Albany Law enforcement officials secured the crash site, presumably for an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Cessna 150J in the incident bears tail number N50945, Serial Number 15069665 and, according to publicly available records, is registered to Sherman Neal Smith of Blue Mountain, MS. It is not known who was at the controls of the plane when it crashed, or if there was more than one person aboard.

There were no known injuries resulting from the crash of this Cessna 150J

The Cessna 150J has a tricycle-type landing gear. The “nose” wheel appeared to be collapsed on the plane that crashed Tuesday, and the plane was resting on its tail.

Cessna manufactured 23,839 of its 150 series aircraft between 1958 and 1977. The plane is generally used for flight training, touring and personal use. The plane that crashed was first certified air worthy on October 2, 1968. It is a high-wing plane with a maximum speed of about 125 miles per hour (MPH) and a cruise speed of 94 MPH.