Pilot walks away from crop duster crash in Duplin County

ALBERTSON, NC (AP) — Authorities say a pilot was able to walk away after his crop duster crashed in Duplin County.

Investigators said the pilot told them the plane was sluggish as he took off Saturday morning from a grass field to spray chemicals on a cotton field near Albertson.

Authorities say the plane clipped a tree before eventually flipping and landing on the side of the road.

Emergency officials say the pilot had 20 years of experience flying planes and refused medical treatment at the scene.

Authorities say the chemicals in the plane did not leak, but it took about three hours to clean up a small fuel leak after the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

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