DCC aviation student suffers minor injuries in emergency landing ...

POUGHKEEPSIE – A female aviation pilot program student attending Dutchess Community College made an emergency, off-airport landing at a campground in Terryville, Connecticut during a solo flight from Poughkeepsie to Hartford, Connecticut at around 11 a.m. on Monday, the college reported Tuesday.

She was flying a Cessna 172 single-engine plane with updated avionics. The aircraft was a total loss.

The school said the student experienced a sudden mechanical failure while working to complete the FAA’s solo flight time requirements to obtain a private pilot’s license.

The pilot was taken to a Connecticut hospital for monitoring and observation and was released. There were no reported injuries to anyone on the ground.

DCC is awaiting a full incident report from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, but a statement from the college said there is “every indication at this point that the student acted in a courageous and exemplary manner during this highly challenging situation.”

The aviation program operates from Hudson Valley Airport, formerly called Duchess County Airport in Wappinger.

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