PLANE CRASH

Last Wednesday, May 2, Jasper County deputies responded to a report of a plane crash on Van Morrison Road, located off Cook Road and east of Jackson Lake Road around mid-morning. Officers found pilot, Lamar Furr of Decatur with no apparent injuries, but his plane was damaged. According to Sheriff Roper who also responded to the call, the plane was a two-seater Glasair Sportsman.

The sheriff did not know where the flight originated. Mr. Furr declined to talk with the reporter on the scene. Mr. Furr told officers that the engine of the Glasair began to sputter and he looked for a safe landing place. He first opted for Van Morrison Road since it was paved, but at the last minute he saw possible electrical lines over the road.

Since catching the fixed landing gear on the lines is dangerous, he flew under the lines and crashed into a dirt bank in the front yard of 260 Van Morrison Road. Mr. Furr is recorded as owner of the plane since 1996. The Glasair 1-FT Sportsman has a top speed of 167 m.p.h. and has the ability to reach a ceiling of 20,000 feet.

According to its website, the kits could be purchased for around $47,000 and advertises that it can be built and ready to fly in two weeks. At this time, the Federal Aviation Administration which investigated the crash has not issued a report.