Workers on Saturday began removing the small, single-engine home-built airplane that crashed Friday afternoon on the roof of Cooper Lighting, about one mile north of Vicksburg Municipal Airport.
Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the pilot instructor, Michael Nassour, 45, and his student, Robert Hamilton, 49, were injured in the crash, which occurred about 3:50 p.m. Friday.
Hamilton, who appeared to be suffering from back injuries, was in fair condition Saturday night at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, a hospital spokesman said. Nassour was taken to River Region Medical Center and appeared to authorities at the scene to have suffered facial lacerations. His condition was unavailable from the hospital late Saturday.
Nassour is a certified flight instructor and is a past member of the Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport advisory board.
The crash occurred at about 3:50 p.m. Friday after the light plane, identified as a Kitfox, apparently developed a problem but was unable to return to the airport and crashed into the building.
No Cooper employees were injured, Armstrong said. The building was evacuated while police and firefighters removed the pilot and his student from the plane. It was unclear Friday night when full production at Cooper would resume.
The Kitfox is built from a kit manufactured by Homedale, Idaho-based Kitfox Aircraft.
According to the company’s website, Kitfox was founded in 1984, and the company has mailed kits to 42 countries. A unique feature of the plane is its folding wings and an ability to be “easily trailered,” which allows its owner to “share hangar space or keep their Kitfoxs at home in a single car garage,” according to the website.