Poplar Bluff man 'lucky' after emergency landing

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) - A Poplar Bluff pilot is counting his blessings after successfully landing his small airplane in a field.

Larry Hillis was returning home from Indianapolis on Friday when his small plane lost oil pressure. The 28-year-old pilot landed in a field near Carbondale, Ill.

Hillis was flying at 10,000 feet when the engine began to malfunction. He was directed to the Carbondale airport, but soon realized he couldn't make it.

Hillis told the Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic that he chose to put down in a pasture on the Southern Illinois University Farm near Carbondale. The field was soft, but Hillis managed to keep the plane from flipping, even as it crossed a road. No vehicles were on the roadway at the time.

The Federal Aviation Administration plans an investigation.

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Information from: Daily American Republic, http://www.darnews.com