Wisconsin pilot dies after L-39 jet crashes near Mayfield airport
The aircraft, a vintage military jet, went down in a field after the pilot radioed an issue during takeoff.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
A Wisconsin pilot died on Monday when his jet crashed into a field in western Kentucky. The Graves County Sheriff’s Office reported the incident near the Mayfield Graves County Airport.
Dispatchers received a 911 call regarding the crash at 2:08 p.m. First responders located the aircraft on fire in a field adjacent to Spence Chapel Road. The crash site is situated near Interstate 69 and Kentucky Highway 131. The pilot was the only person inside the aircraft. Authorities have not yet released his name.
The sheriff’s office identified the aircraft as an L-39 Albatros. This model is an older military-style jet. The pilot and his daughter were both from Wisconsin. They had been returning from an airshow in Mississippi. They stopped at the Mayfield airport to refuel their aircraft.
The daughter was piloting a separate L-39 Albatros. After her father took off, he radioed that he was experiencing a mechanical issue. He stated he was returning to the airport. The plane crashed shortly after that transmission. His daughter’s aircraft returned to the field and landed without incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified. Both agencies are currently responding to the scene to investigate the cause of the crash.
