A 17-year-old student pilot who was critically injured in a plane crash in Paulding County, Georgia, has returned home to begin a long rehabilitation, according to his family.
Grady, a high school senior who hopes to become a military pilot, spent more than two weeks in hospital and underwent several operations after the single-engine aircraft came down in woodland near Hulseytown Road on September 3.
The teenager was taking part in a training flight with a 22-year-old instructor when the aircraft, operated by Dependable Aviation, crashed less than a mile from Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport. The pair had been practising take-offs and landings, officials said.
Both occupants were able to call 911 from inside the wreckage. Their call helped emergency crews locate the aircraft deep in the woods, with firefighters making contact roughly 12 minutes after the initial dispatch and bringing the injured men to waiting ambulances.
Student pilot begins recovery at home
Grady has now been discharged from hospital and is expected to continue his treatment through physical therapy and outpatient rehabilitation.
His family said he will need to use a wheelchair for several months. They are making extensive changes to his home to improve access and are raising money for specialist equipment, medical bills and costs not covered by insurance.
A fundraising appeal initially collected more than $5,000 during his emergency treatment. A further appeal has been launched to support his return home and continuing care.
The family’s fundraiser described Grady as a student who had been attending flight school with the ambition of joining the US Air Force, becoming a pilot engineer and flying himself.
Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson praised the speed of the emergency response, saying firefighters reached the aircraft quickly and freed both occupants.
“Our Paulding County Fire team was here really, really quickly,” Sheriff Henson said. “Got these two individuals out of the plane.”
Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are examining the crash site and the aircraft remains. No cause has yet been established, and officials have cautioned that a full investigation could take time.
