Two people were injured Sunday, Oct. 5, when an airplane crashed as it attempted to land on a private airstrip in Carroll County.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 10:45 a.m. Sunday reporting an airplane crash near Apple Hill Road, south of Mount Carroll, according to a news release issued by the sheriff’s office.

Two occupants in the airplane exited the aircraft and reached safety prior to the arrival of first responders, authorities said. Fire crews extinguished the fire, which had fully engulfed the airplane.

Initial investigation indicates the airplane had traveled to Mount Carroll from outside the area and was attempting to land at a private airstrip near Apple Hill Road.

During the landing attempt, the pilot experienced difficulties due to wind gusts, and the airplane crashed into a nearby cornfield.

The pilot was treated on scene for minor injuries and declined transport. The passenger was transported from the scene and airlifted to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford with injuries that authorities said are not life-threatening.

The names of the occupants have not yet been released to allow them time to notify family members.

The Mount Carroll Police Department, Mount Carroll Fire Department, Mount Carroll Ambulance, Lanark Fire Department, Chadwick Fire Department, Milledgeville Fire Department, Savanna Fire Department, AirCare Helicopter, National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration assisted at the scene.