Small plane makes emergency landing on Miller Field on Staten Island
NEW DORP, Staten Island (WABC) -- A small plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Staten Island soccer field Wednesday.
The plane landed on Miller Field in the New Dorp section.
Officials say the pilot was on his way home to Somerset, New Jersey at the time.
The pilot was trying to navigate through rough weather over the waters off Staten Island and brought the plane down the only place he could, on a field being used for soccer practice.
"I thought it was flying low because of the weather but then it made a sharp turn," said Richmondtown Diamonds soccer coach Scott Meigs.
Meigs and his girls were practicing on Miller Field. He saw the plane drop the Geico banner in tow.
"I told my girls and my wife told the girls to get off the field because it was coming back down and I feel it was going to make a landing then," said Meigs.
The plane glided onto the ground in the middle of the field just after 5:30 p.m.
The pilot was the only one on the plane. He was not injured, and neither was anyone on the ground.
"He did a really good job," said Meigs. "He dropped the banner, he made sure no one was in the way when he landed. He did an excellent job. It could have been a lot worse."
The NYPD secured the plane, and the FAA is investigating the incident.
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