A Cessna plane went down in southwest Butler County a few miles east of Douglass.

The plane was a prototype of the Cessna Skycatcher, and it was on a routine test flight.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud pop then seeing sparks as the plane spiraled downward, crashing into a tree line about 1/2 mile east of Hopkins Switch Road on 230th near the Butler County/Cowley County line.

A Cessna spokesperson said the plane had more than 100 flights and 150 hours in the air.

The pilot parachuted out of the plane and landed safely in a field roughly 400 yards away from the wreckage. Cessna says the most important detail is the safety of the pilot, who was taken to the hospital with only minor injuries.

The pilot has been identified as 70-year-old Bobby Newsom.

The Skycatcher is Cessna's entry into the sport and training plane market.

Cessna says it is too early to know what went wrong, and it could be days or weeks before the investigation is complete.

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