Experienced Goshen pilots pull off emergency landing without damage or injuries

It’s not something you expect to see every day. An airplane in the middle of a farm field.

We brought you breaking news last night at 11 of this emergency landing near County Roads 42 and 17 in Goshen.

The pilots of that plane were flight instructors. One was helping the other earn a higher instructor’s rating.

And those pilots’ combined 3,500 hours of experience really paid off. There’s not a scratch on the plane or its passengers.

63-year-old Joe Sample has been flying planes for 20 years and has seen a lot.

“Never had to put it down in a field before,” he told us.

He and 25-year-old Nevin Hershberger were on a training flight when they started having engine problems.

Their boss at New Horizons Aviation — Roger Yoder — says that caused a partial loss of power.

“From the time the engine started to run rough they had probably a minute and a half until they were on the groundIt was quick.”

Sample says he wasn’t scared.

“There was no panic. I mean, I don’t think time allowed for that.”

Hershberger and Sample were only about 6 miles from the Goshen airport, but knew they wouldn’t make it.

“It’s part of the training. It’s one of those things that you prepare for but you hopefully never have to do.”

Yoder admits things could have gone worse — one of the field furrows could have caused the plane to tip over.

“Keep in mind, this was after dark. If that would’ve happened now, they probably would have landed the other direction with the rows.”

But for these guys, all’s well that ends well.

“Sometimes you pick a field, sometimes the field picks you,” said Sample.

There was a mechanic out today looking at the engine problem that led to this emergency landing.

He’s not able to do those repairs in the field.

So Yoder says they’ll be back out soon to take the wings off and trailer this airplane home.