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Pilot safely lands on parking lot after striking tree

PLAINVILLE, Conn. -- A pilot in Connecticut was okay after his plane crashed into a tree, which cushioned the aircraft's descent into a parking lot. 

Authorities say the crash occurred just before 11:30 a.m. Monday as the Cessna 172P aircraft was attempting to land at Robertson Airport. 

CBS Connecticut reports the aircraft landed in a nearby parking lot of a business. 

Surveillance video released by police shows the plane coming in low over the parking lot, striking the top of the tree, spinning as the tree bends to the ground and coming to rest, wheels down, on the asphalt.

Police say the pilot was not seriously injured in the crash, suffering only minor injuries. He was sent to a local hospital for treatment.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. 

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