Engine troubles cause local airplane crash

A plane crashed at Coles County Memorial Airport on Sunday morning because of engine troubles; however, no one was injured.

Shannon Youakim, a representative of Central Illinois Air, a plane maintenance and flight instruction business at the airport, said a privately-owned, single-engine plane “fell short of runway 2-4.”

At about 11:20 a.m., the pilot experiencing engine trouble crashed just before the runway when he was trying to land, she said. The pilot and his passenger, both of which Youakim could not identify, were not injured in the accident.

“They walked away,” she said.

Youakim said the incident is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, and further information will be available when the investigation is concluded.

The Mattoon Police Department and the Mattoon Fire Department said they had no information on the incident.