ROMEO (WWJ) - A small plane over seven decades old sustained damage after it suffered a mechanical malfunction during takeoff in Metro Detroit.
Ray Township Fire Chief Mark Hoskin told WWJ that the plane was in the process of going airborne from the runway at Romeo Airport around 10 a.m. when it lost a wheel.
As a result, the plane -- which was built in the 1950s -- hit its propeller and wing against the ground. Hoskin said the aircraft was damaged.
The plane never made it off the runway, airport personnel said to WWJ, and the wheel popped off as the pilot was turning the aircraft.
Hoskin said the pilot was not injured in the incident.
According to officials, incidents like this happen "all the time," but they did not say what caused the wheel to come off.
The amount of damage caused to the plane remains unclear. The make of the aircraft was not released by authorities.