DEKALB COUNTY, TN - An Auburntown man piloting a small aircraft sustained only minor injuries when his plane went down into Center Hill Lake on Tuesday. The single-propeller airplane crashed into the water near the Holmes Creek area Tuesday afternoon, prompting a response from the DeKalb Fire Department.

Fire Chief Donny Green of the DeKalb County Fire Department stated, “A nearby fisherman witnessed the aircraft crash and immediately called 911 to report it and rendered aid. The pilot, James Luna of Auburntown, Tennessee, was able to free himself from the plane, board the fisherman’s boat, and suffered only minor injuries that did not require medical transport.”

Green further noted, “The pilot was operating an ICON A5 single-engine amphibious aircraft designed to land on water or land. He was the sole occupant of the plane and was attempting to land in the water near the north end of Holmes Creek when the crash occurred.”

Fortunately, the plane did not catch fire or leak any fluids after going down, according to the fire chief. He also confirmed, “Fire crews responded in Fire Boat 2 from Hidden Harbor Marina. The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency also responded to the scene. The DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency was contacted and provided information that has been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”

The small American-made aircraft has the ability to travel a range of 345 miles at speeds of up to 120 mph. The exterior of the plane was designed by Nissan designer Randy Rodriguez. ICON has reported that 35% of its customers are not pilots.