Pilot is injured in Ogden crash

OGDEN — A pilot was seriously injured Thursday when his small plane crashed in a field north of the Ogden-Hinckley Airport.

Jack Lowrey, 49, of Layton, had just departed the runway when he radioed to airport control around 9:20 a.m., said Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Lonnie Eskelson. The 1975 Maule N-315X single-engine plane went down just after takeoff, almost immediately after Lowrey radioed to report he lost engine power and was going to make an emergency landing, said Eskelson. Lowrey was the sole occupant.

Lowrey made an emergency landing in a field at approximately 3000 South and 1700 West, about one-quarter of a mile north of the airport, according to police. He had to be extricated from the wreckage and was flown by medical helicopter to McKay-Dee Hospital, Eskelson said. He was conscious and speaking with rescuers while being treated at the scene, according to a press release. He was in stable condition Thursday evening.

"He is a fairly accomplished pilot; he just ran out of air," said Ed Rich, Ogden-Hinckley Airport manager.

Rich said the right wing probably hit the ground first. The plane crashed and slid several yards in a open field.

"He did a good job," he said of the pilot's landing the aircraft.

Rich credited a recent installation of safety devices in the plane to saving Lowrey's life.

"He just installed a shoulder harness a few days ago," Rich said. Without a harness, the body can be easily thrown forward into the instrument panel.

The Maule N-315X is a slow-moving, tough and secure airplane, according to its manufacturer. It has one of the slowest stall times, allowing for more maneuverability when executing an emergency landing. For added control, the plane has a swiveling tail wheel and fixed landing gear, the Maule Air Inc. Web site says.

Lowrey did not own the plane but was planning to fly it to Alaska and deliver it to the owner who lives there, Eskelson said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

E-mail: cneugebauer@desnews.com