Emergency Landing: Plane Diverted to Habersham County Airport as Cockpit Fills with Smoke

Medical personnel and firefighters at the scene of an emergency landing at the Habersham County Airport in Baldwin on August 22, 2024.Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

A plane in distress made an emergency landing at the Habersham County Airport in Baldwin Thursday night.

County fire and medical personnel, along with units from Cornelia and Baldwin, responded to a report of an incoming emergency landing shortly before 9 p.m. on August 22.

“At first, when we received the initial dispatch for the call, we were not sure the size of the plane and what we were getting into, so we had all of our resources en route,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Battalion Chief Dwight McNally.

According to the flight tracking service FlightAware, the single-engine aircraft departed from Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia around 6:20 p.m. on its way to Cobb County International Airport. Two and a half hours into the flight, the cockpit filled with smoke, prompting the emergency landing.

The single-engine plane was en route from Manassas, Virginia, to Cobb County, Georgia, when diverted to Baldwin.Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

The pilot and two passengers, along with emergency personnel, check out the grounded plane’s engine.Photo byDaniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com

“Fortunately, the gentlemen in the plane were able to land safely, and the plane was not on fire. They just had a minor mechanical issue,” says McNally.

Federal Aviation Administration records show that Three Hands Farms LLC, in Aldie, Virginia, owns the fixed-wing single-engine four-seater.

Chief McNally praised the local emergency response, saying there was a good turnout from all departments and “everything went smoothly.”

“We were very fortunate that it was just a minor mechanical failure, and everyone was ok,” he adds.

The plane remained grounded at the airport, and the three men resumed their trip to Atlanta by automobile.