RISON - A teenage pilot and his passenger flying a single engine plane from Houston to Pine Bluff found himself sitting in the middle of a cow pasture outside of Rison last Thursday afternoon after the plane ran out of the fuel.Chief Deputy Gary Young of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department reported that Joseph Truss, 19, of the Seattle, Wash., Area, managed to land the plane safely in a pasture off Hwy. 114 in front of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, about halfway between Rison and Calmer in the Rose Hill community.Young said they received two phone calls starting at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, from county residents reporting a low-flying plane making sputtering sounds. The first call came from Hwy. 35 south of Rison, and the second from a resident on Herbert Puckett Road, about seven miles south of Rison in the Macedonia community.Truss was able to safely land the plane on its landing gear in a large cow pasture, about four miles beyond the report from Herbert Puckett Road. Young said there were no injuries and no damage to the plane.Young said the sheriff's department was notified about the landing at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday.The plane came to a stop about 50 yards from a fence that runs along the drive leading to New Hope Church. Sheriff's deputies arrived shortly afterwards, and the pilot and his passenger were transported to a hotel in Pine Bluff.Young said the insurance company was expected to inspect the plane on Friday.The plane remained in the pasture over the weekend, but was removed sometime Tuesday. Young said the pilot had discussed the possibility of moving the plane to Hwy. 114 and having the sheriff's department temporarily close the road for a take-off. However, Young said the sheriff's department was not contacted to do so....
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