Small plane flips after forced-landing in Newton

The faltering economy turned out to be a blessing for the pilot of a small plane that landed and flipped in rural Newton County Wednesday afternoon.

The Cessna 205 had one passenger on board and neither he or the pilot sustained serious injury, said Porterdale Police Chief Wayne Digby.

“Just some bruises,” he said.

The plane went down about 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of Bypass and Flat Shoals roads “in the middle of nowhere,” Digby said. “If he didn’t have his cell phone I doubt anyone would’ve noticed they were there.”

A major residential development had been planned for the large vacant clearing but was put on hold due to the uncertain economy, Digby said.

It’s believed the plane ran out of gas, but Federal Aviation Administration investigators currently on site have yet to officially determine the cause.

The plane, registered to Jay Daniel Abbott of Rocky Mount, Va., was en route to Peachtree-DeKalb Airport, Digby said. It’s not known if Abbott piloted the Cessna on Wednesday.