Texas Man Safe After Forced Landing in Pike County IL

A pilot from Texas escapes injury early Saturday afternoon in a forced landing of his small plane near Milton in Pike County Illinois.
Pike County Sheriff Paul Petty says 47 year old Chaitanya Verma of Carrrolton Texas was at 8,500 feet when engine RPM's increased and smoke was reported in the cockpit. Verma made an emergency landing on 200th Avenue a mile southeast of Milton. The plane's propeller departed the aircraft at some point during the emergency. The FAA is investigating.