Small aircraft damaged in accident

A single engine aircraft sustained major damage during takeoff at the Chadron Airport Sunday afternoon.

The Chadron Police Department responded to a call at 1:12 p.m. of a minor aviation accident involving a single engine plane. Upon arriving at the airport, officers discovered the plane just off of the runway. The pilot, whose identification is not being released, was the only occupant inside the aircraft a the time and no injuries were reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and took over the investigation of the accident. A spokesperson for the FAA said the investigation will likely take several weeks and no information will be released at this time. The NTSB Records Management Office reported that it usually takes 10-20 days before a preliminary report is filed, and the NTSB Denver Regional Office did not return phone calls from The Chadron Record.