Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of an incident Saturday when a light plane made an emergency landing on a small pond in the city of Brighton.

According to Brighton City Police Chief Brent Pirochta, the pilot and lone occupant of the plane had taken off from the Oakland County Airport near Pontiac Saturday morning, bound for Tennessee, when he experienced engine trouble. He was able to land safely on the pond near the end of Advance St., west of Grand River. Pirochta identified the pilot as a 76-year-old Metro Detroit man.

First responders arrived quickly at the scene, where they discovered the pilot sitting on top of his aircraft. He was removed and taken by Livingston County EMS to the U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor as what Chief Pirochta calls “a precautionary measure.” Pirochta tells WHMI that the man has since been released from the hospital.

Pirochta says the FAA was on the scene Saturday to probe the cause of the incident. So far, authorities are saying only that the pilot experienced engine problems before deciding to attempt an emergency landing.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, and the Brighton Area Fire Authority all assisted at the scene.