LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two people inside a small plane that crashed in St. Matthews last Friday are recovering with one of the pilots already being released from the hospital.
Flight instructor Evan Peele remains in the hospital while private pilot Jessica Deis has been released. The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. on Kresge Way and Breckenridge Lane.
The pilot, Evan, called a "mayday" just moments before the plane went down at the busy intersection. Jessica, who is a licensed pilot was in the process of getting a check-out flight to fly this specific plane, credits Evan's flying skills and ability to remain calm for saving their lives.
The crash took out the stop lights at the intersection causing temporary mobile lights to be installed. A stop light still sits on the side of the road while traffic tends to pile up.
Steve Mann, who lives in a nearby neighborhood said he's used to planes flying high and low around his house.
"They'll come right over the house, you can see people in the windows and they're looking down on you," he said. "I mean cause they're about 150 feet above the house, but you don't really think much of it at all."
Mann said he's more concerned with planes taking off from Bowman Field rather than planes that are landing there.
"If they lose power when they're leaving, I live so close to the house, that's what I worry about," he said.
Darrell Watson with the Louisville Airport Authority said there were just over 129,000 landings and take-offs last year at Bowman Field. Most of those were single engine aircrafts, like the one that crashed Friday.
"There are five flight schools located on Bowman Field which provide flight training to individuals; however, the LRAA does not track the number of student pilots operating at each flight school," Darrell said.
The crash is now being investigated by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.
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