A biplane with engine trouble made an emergency landing in a swamp near Sleepy Hollow Road Saturday afternoon.
Gregg Kropp recounted the story in an email to the Dispatch, "The plane made three passes over my house in the 10-15 minutes preceding its final descent. My son and I were both outside at the time. The radial engine on those old biplanes (Beechcraft, I believe) have a distinct engine sound; that is what got our attention on its first pass. On the third pass, it sputtered-out directly over my property, banking to it's left, turning toward the northeast, where it descended out of sight below the tree line.
"When I called 911, CWSD (Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department) told me I was the first person to call it in. I was the second vehicle on site. The pilot told me no one was hurt."
The location where the plane came to a rest is about 300-400 yards west of 50th Avenue, about 1 mile north of Sleepy Hollow Road.
The plane was hauled out Sunday afternoon on a flatbed, gooseneck trailer.
