12/27/13 - Was it a crash or an incident? Thatâs a question investigators will try to answer as they look into a mishap this morning at the Livingston County Airport. Authorities say a single-engine Piper Meridian veered off the runway around 11am as it was landing and slammed into a snow bank, bending the propeller. The pilot, identified as a 68-year-old Livingston County resident with a South Lyon address, was not injured. Livingston County Undersheriff Mike Murphy tells WHMI that it will be up to the Federal Aviation Administration as to how this will be classified. If it costs less than $20,000 to repair, Murphy says it is likely to be called an incident. Anything more than that, and it becomes officially an accident. Mark Johnson, the Director of the Spencer J. Hardy Airport, says that although it appears only the prop was bent, any time a propeller comes to a sudden stop, the entire engine will have to be taken apart and inspected to ensure there was no internal damage. He was unsure what the cost of that procedure would be. (JK)
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