The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office is investigating a plane down near the Dunkirk Airport.
Francis Emmerling, 66, of West Seneca, was the pilot and sole occupant of a Cessna 162 when it took off from the airport around 11:15 Thursday morning.
Deputies say Emmerling experienced some kind of mechanical issue shortly after; crashing the plane in a wooded area about a mile from the airport near the intersection of Newell and Middle Roads in the Town of Sheridan.
Rescue crews, including Deputy Kevin Link, who is also an EMT, were guided to the scene by a private pilot in another plane. When they located the wreckage, they found Emmerling had already freed himself from the craft.
He was taken by Starflight to ECMC for treatment of a leg injury and some cuts to his face. The FAA has been called in to assist local authorities in investigating the accident.