Colorado community praises pilot after plane crash, no injuries or damage to nearby homes

A pilot is being praised after making an emergency landing in his small plane south of Denver on Monday evening.

It happened just before 6:15 p.m. on Prairie Hawk Drive near the intersection with Wolfsenberger Road in Castle Rock. The Castle Rock Police Department told CBS News Colorado that the pilot told them they were having engine problems prior to the incident.

The plane landed near a power plant, power lines, and a residential neighborhood. Three people were on the plane, and two people were in a vehicle that was struck by the plane as it landed. However, nobody reported any injuries. Community members are thankful nobody was hurt and are now commending the pilot for his ability to land the plane the way he did in an emergency.

"It's scary to see, for sure, it's not just something that you think you're going to witness or that someone is going to walk away from either," said Whitney Hookham, who stopped by the scene shortly after the accident. So, it's a pretty miraculous thing to happen. To navigate and cause probably the least amount of damage that probably could be possible is amazing."

Hookham pulled over to see if she could help, but was relieved when she realized nobody was seriously injured.

"Most plane crashes you see, people don't come out walking or alive," she said

"Very scary thing for a plane to land outside of our home, but we are so glad everyone is ok," said Brittany Maupin, who lives in the neighborhood nearby. "My husband and I and our four kids certainly had an eventful night, but yes, the first responders did amazingly quick work and were so nice to our kiddos."

Maupin also shared a photo of first responders handing out stickers to her kids and the others in the neighborhood, making them feel more at peace.

Community members praised the Castle Rock Police Department and the Castle Rock Fire Department for their rapid response and for quickly opening the road back up.

Both the pilot's efforts and the work of first responders contributed to keeping the community safe and unharmed in what could have been a tragic accident.