Plane makes emergency landing in Priest River school baseball field

A plane made an emergency landing in a Priest River elementary school baseball field Wednesday afternoon, Priest River Police Chief Drew McLain said.

Priest River Municipal Airport sits right next to the elementary school. As soon as the pilot lifted off in the small lightweight plane, his engine stalled, McLain said.

The pilot was about 100 feet in the air when the engine trouble started.

He tried to turn around but “ran out of feet because he was dropping,” McLain said.

McLain said he landed safely in the baseball field and walked away from the plane uninjured.

The only damage appeared to be collapsed tires from the landing, McLain said.

“I don’t know if he’d fly it again,” McLain said with a laugh.

“Why tempt fate?”