SALISBURY — A South Carolina pilot walked away from a weekend airplane crash about 10 miles from the Rowan County airport.

The pilot, David Griffin, 79, of Tega Cay, told authorities he was in his 2009 amateur-built fixed wing single engine Titan T-51D Mustang, on Saturday morning when the engine began failing.

He switched fuel tanks and changed altitude thinking that would help, said Salisbury Police Capt. Shelia Lingle.

The engine did fail and he glided the aircraft to the ground. The propeller and landing gear were broken causing $10,000 in damages. The airplane was found nose down in a small ditch. Griffin was not injured.

The pilot valued the plane at $75,000, Lingle said.

— Shavonne Walker