February 25, 2025
By:
A pilot sustained only minor injuries when his plane went down on the lake in the Holmes Creek area Tuesday afternoon.
Chief Donny Green of the DeKalb County Fire Department issued the following statement:
“Tuesday at approximately 3:53 p.m., the DeKalb County Fire Department and other response agencies were dispatched to the Holmes Creek area of Center Hill Lake for a reported plane crash in the water”.
According to Chief Green, “a nearby fisherman witnessed the aircraft crash and immediately called 911 to report it and proceeded to render aid. The pilot, James Luna of Auburntown, Tennessee, was able to remove himself from the plane, board the fisherman’s boat, and had only minor injuries that did not require medical transport”.
“The pilot was operating an ICON A5 single-engine amphibious aircraft designed to land on water or land. He was the sole occupant of the plane and was attempting to land in the water near the north end of Holmes Creek when the crash occurred,” said Chief Green.
“No fire occurred, and no spills resulted from the crash,” Green explained. “Fire crews responded in Fire Boat 2 from Hidden Harbor Marina. The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency also responded to the scene. DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency was also contacted and provided with information that has been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” said Chief Green.