Crop duster survives when plane catches fire

CHESTERTOWN, MARYLAND (9/18/2016) A crop duster from Delaware escaped serious injury this afternoon when a plane he was using caught fire after a failed takeoff near Chestertown, authorities said.

The pilot, identified as Martin Stoken, 30, of Felton, had safely made an emergency landing at a farm in the 10000 block of Flatland Road on Saturday.

After a mechanic worked on the Grumman Ag Cat G164A crop dusting plane, he took off from a field shortly after 2:30 p.m. today, but the plane lost power and hit a car trailer and farm equipment before landing upright, Maryland State Police said.

Stoken got out of the plane on his own before it caught fire.

By the time emergency crews arrived, the plane was engulfed in flames. Firefighters put out the blaze.

Fire officials reported Stoken had possible minor injuries but didn’t require transport to a hospital.

No one on the ground was injured.

Police said the plane, owned by Delmarva Aerial Crop Service in Marydel, Maryland, was significantly damaged.