The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the scene of a crash involving a vintage plane that took off and traveled over a mile without a pilot.
The aircraft, believed to be a 1941 Piper model departed from a Central City airport in Nebraska at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
A technician went to check his maintenance work on the plane when it suddenly flew up and left the runway.
Merrick County Sgt. Jake Bauer mentioned that the 80-year-old engine is a simple version with no automatic starter or even key ignition. It requires manual handling to take off.
The aircraft ended up crashing in a cornfield after flying one mile and a half, 200 feet in the air. The Piper J-3 plane was created in 1937 and "remains one of the most recognized designs in aviation," the National Air and Space Museum said.
