LIVERMORE – A Fayette man piloting a single-engine airplane over Livermore on Thursday night set the craft down in a potato patch after experiencing mechanical trouble.

Police said 51-year Barry Barclay and a passenger were unhurt, and damage to the aircraft landing gear was minimal. Barclay chose to set the plane down in a field of River Road rather than trying to reach Bowman Airfield approximately two miles away, Trooper Nathan Jamo said.

Early indications were that the 1942 aircraft, rebuilt by Barclay, began experiencing trouble taking in fuel about 9:30 p.m., Jamo said. Shortly after, Barclay decided to land in the potato field, causing minor damage to a small patch of it as he set down.

The Federal Aviation Administration was called to investigate the incident, as is mandatory in all emergency landings.