Plane Crashes at Argyle Airport; Pilot Hurt

Jun. 17—ARGYLE — A Salem man was injured when his plane crashed at Argyle Airport on Thursday morning.

The accident happened just after 11 a.m. at the private airport off Route 40.

Washington County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and found a fixed-wing, single-engine Cessna plane that had crashed.

The plane had heavy front end damage.

David L. Klingebiel, 80, of Bunker Hill Road, was the only occupant in the plane.

He was removed from the plane and transported by LifeNet helicopter to Albany Medical Center with head, chest and leg injuries, police said.

The light plane landed on its roof, according to police radio transmissions.

Police turned over the scene to the Federal Aviation Administration. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The Fort Edward and Argyle fire departments, Argyle EMS and the Washington County Department of Public Safety also responded to the crash scene.

The airport has seen a few crashes over the years.

A 1958 Cessna Skyhawk 172, carrying two people, crashed in a field just off the runway on Oct. 8, 2016. The pilot had come in at too slow a speed, according to a Post-Star story. The plane struck a tree and flipped over. Both the pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries.

A 1979 Beechcraft Bonanza crashed on Jan. 27, 2010. The pilot was coming in for a landing and tried to avoid ice by heading back into the air. However, the plane did not take flight but smashed through a fence, ending up in a horse pasture just beyond the end of the runway. The man was not hurt.

Michael Goot covers politics, crime and courts, Warren County, education and business. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or [email protected].

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