By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

HENDERSON, Nev. – Columbiana business owner Andrew Brown was one of four people injured in a small plane crash near Henderson, Nev., on July 19.

“Preliminary reports are two are critically burned, and the other two are burned,” Columbiana Mayor Stancil Handley said on the morning of July 20. “No one was killed in the accident.”

Handley said burns cover about 30 percent of Brown’s body, according to his father, Andy Brown, who flew out to Nevada on July 19 to be with his son.

“They’ve got him sedated somewhat and resting,” Handley said. “He’ll require some care.”

Andrew and Andy Brown operate Brown Lumber and Building Supply in Columbiana.

The plane, a single-engine Piper PA 28 crashed under unknown circumstances at about 1:20 p.m. after departing from Henderson Executive Airport, according to Public Affairs Manager Ian Gregor with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane caught fire after crashing with four people on board, Gregor wrote in a July 20 email.

“FAA investigators on Sunday were at the crash site, which is about three miles south of the airport,” Gregor wrote. “The FAA and NTSB will investigate.”

Smiley Fortner, store manager at Brown Lumber, said Andrew Brown was “doing OK” as of the afternoon of July 20 and could be back at home by the weekend.

“He’s definitely got a long road ahead of him recovering from the burns,” Fortner said. “We’re just thankful he’s alive. Not many people walk away from a plane crash.”

Fortner said numerous people had called the store to express concern and well wishes for Brown.

“We appreciate the community support,” Fortner said. “We’re awful thankful for the community. We just appreciate everybody’s calls and well wishes.”