Sunita Somvanshi
A single-engine aircraft made an emergency landing near an elementary school playground Tuesday evening in Lebanon, Tennessee. No one was injured, and the landing area posed no danger to students on campus.
The incident happened around 6:15 p.m. at Byars Dowdy Elementary School on Hickory Ridge Road in Wilson County. The plane touched down on the school grounds, coming to rest near the recreational area.
Children were on school grounds for after-school activities, but none were near the landing area. School hours run from 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., so the emergency landing occurred after the regular instructional day had ended.
The pilot was evaluated at the scene and did not require hospitalization. Emergency responders from the Lebanon Police Department, Lebanon Fire Department, and Wilson County Emergency Management Agency arrived quickly to secure the area.
Byars Dowdy serves Pre-K through Grade 5 students. The aircraft took off from Lebanon Municipal Airport before the emergency landing near the school playground.
The preliminary investigation indicates the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have taken over the investigation and will determine the specific cause.
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