Man crashes plane on own property

A 72-year-old Tate Township man crash-landed an airplane on his own property Tuesday evening and is expected to be OK.

The pilot, Roland Franke, has been flying for more than 30 years, his wife told officials at the scene.

Shortly after taking off, Franke realized there was an apparent problem with the engine, said Patrol Sgt. Charles Jordan . He tried to circle back and land the single-engine, ultralight plane but crashed, Jordan said.

The plane flipped over in the crash at his property in the 2200 block of Oak Corner Road, the sergeant said.

"Obviously that plane is not very big and sturdy. It's not going to handle a lot of impact -- especially if it hits concrete or metal. We're lucky here it was a farm field that somewhat cushioned his blow," Jordan said.

AirCare was called to the scene, and Franke was flown to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, he said.

"They're serious injuries, but not life-threatening," Jordan said.