Pilot, 85, escapes injury in forced landing

UNION TOWNSHIP – An 85-year-old pilot was found in a cornfield after the small plane he was flying was forced to land in a cornfield on Monday.

The Ohio Highway Patrol said the pilot of a 2013 Thatcher CX4A home-made, fixed-wing aircraft experienced engine problems shortly after take-off from nearby Buckeye Airport in Hebron.

The pilot, James Baldwin, of Pickerington, was not injured. He reported he had no passengers. His destination was Lancaster.

The patrol continues to investigate the reported crash landing shortly after 4 p.m. near 2300 National Road Southwest.

After a short search, the plane was located south of U.S. 40, north of the Pilot Truck Stop and west of Ohio 37.

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