McDonald's Plane Crash: Pilot Crash Lands in Louisiana Fast Food Restaurant
A craving for French fries is not the reason why airplane pilot Michael Ray Martin crashed-landed a small plane into a northern Louisiana McDonald's parking lot near the drive-thru on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old pilot was preparing to land a Beechcraft Bonanza plane at the Monroe Regional Airport when it clipped a tree, began to spin and then crashed into the parking lot at the fast food restaurant, said Ron Phillips, the airport's director, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
Fortunately, no one besides the pilot was injured in the plane crash at the heavy trafficked franchise.
Martin, of Calhoun, Louisiana, was airlifted to a hospital, but Phillips says the accident "could have been a lot worse." No information was available on his condition besides the fact that he was seriously injured.
Shortly before the incident, authorities say Martin reported a problem with his fuel, reports the LA Times.
The plane took off from the Carmi Municipal Airport in southeastern Illinois at 8:00 a.m. as Martin was taking part in a test flight after repairs were made on the plane. Martin told deputies that engine quit on him while in the air, according to officials.
Around 10:40 a.m., the single-engine aircraft crashed on the 8000 block of Desiard Street in Monroe, according to a statement released by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office.
Phillips, the Monroe Municipal Airport Manager, said the plane "was flying patterns and ran into difficulty." He added that the plane is now in "pretty bad shape" due to the crash.
"Part of the plane is up against the McDonald's sign post and it looks like maybe one car was damaged. The plane broke apart, but it doesn't seem like (there was) any other major damage to any facilities around," Phillips add.
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