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Pilot Survives Emergency Crash Landing On Busy Street in Fresno

FRESNO (CBS/AP) -- A small plane crashed and landed on its roof in the middle of a busy street in Fresno on Saturday but no one on the ground was injured and the pilot walked away with bumps and scratches, authorities said.

Philip Barnett told the Fresno Bee the engine of his Cessna 172 Skyhawk failed after he took off from the Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno shortly before 10 a.m. He said he turned around and landed near the end of the runway, but the plane had so much momentum it went through a metal fence and pedestrian walkway.

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Fresno
A single-engine aircraft crashed upside down onto the median of Herndon Avenuein Fresno on Saturday. (KGPE TV)

Fresno police Lt. Jennifer Horford told the CBS affiliate that the pilot landed with the wind which increased the plane's speed, propelling it onto Herndon Avenue where it flipped and landed on the median.

"I was lucky there was no cars," Barnett said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CBS 47 Fresno and the Associated Press contributed to this report

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