A small plane crashed near a central Illinois church filled with worshippers, injuring two men who were aboard the aircraft, authorities said.
The single-engine Piper Cherokee Six crashed Wednesday night in the parking lot of Open Arms Christian Fellowship in Lincoln, coming to rest nose-down in a landscaped area with its left wing sheared off and other damage.
Two men who were the only people aboard the plane were taken to a Springfield hospital for treatment for injuries not considered life-threatening, The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reported.
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Clyde Zellers, principal avionics inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration in Springfield, said the plane came down about a quarter-mile from the Logan County Airport while trying to approach. He said the crash remained under investigation.
The plane crashed about 7:30 p.m. CDT as about 100 to 150 people were inside the Open Arms Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational Christian church, attending regular Wednesday evening services for its children’s ministry and some adult ministries, the church's co-lead pastor, the Rev. Larry Crawford, said.
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No one inside the church was injured and church property suffered minimal property damage, he said.
"Honestly, it’s a miracle of God," Crawford said.
Lincoln is located in Logan County about 34 miles northeast of Springfield.
