The pilot of a single-engine, three-seat, open-cockpit biplane survived a crash Monday in a cornfield behind 2264 Coomer Road in Newfane, according to Niagara County Sheriff's deputies.
Deputies said they arrived on the location after 2 p.m. to find a 1929 Waco Model GXE overturned in the cornfield.
The pilot, Joseph Rizzo of Akron, sustained only minor injuries and declined medical treatment at the scene, according to the Sheriff's Office.
An initial investigation determined that the plane took off from 5328 Wilson Burt Road and started eastbound at about 2,000 feet. The pilot was unable to gain altitude and attempted a precautionary landing in the cornfield where the plane overturned.
The Sheriff’s Office will be holding the scene until the Federal Aviation Administration completes its investigation of the crash.