HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A low-flying plane raised anxiety levels among some neighbors in the Wyndham Forest community on Wednesday.
"Basically a plane flew in front of my face," neighbor Carla Mentry said about the early afternoon air show.
Mentry said the small plane circled their Glen Allen neighborhood for about half an hour.
Concerned with how close the plane was to her home, Mentry said she called the Henrico Police non-emergency number to ask what was going on.
"They said they received calls about it, but it was nothing to be concerned about because it was just a crop duster," she said.
Mentry said she was not only concerned about her home, but also nearby River's Edge Elementary School.
"I could hear him make repeated passes," she said. "He was flying very low."
Neighbor Rob Edwards said he was initially not concerned when he saw the plane, but said his concern grew when the plane kept making loops in a manner he said seemed reckless.
"It seemed kind of dangerous," he said. "We're not far from a farm, but it kept flying out of the farm range and closer to the school."
Edwards, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than a decade, said he'd never seen a low-flying plane over his neighborhood before.
"Kind of unusual behavior," he said about the sharp turns and speed.
Mentry, who has lived in the area since 2007, also said it was the first time she'd ever seen something like that over her home.
"It was scary," she said. "Immediately, I was like, he gets to do what he wants? Who is going to stop him?"
The answer could be the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Kevin Ohree, an aviation safety assistant with the regional FAA office, said anyone with concerns about low-flying planes can file a report with the agency.
"We'll take the report and assign an investigator," Ohree said. "The investigator will follow up with the caller and figure out what's going on."
To reach the regional FAA office, call 804-222-7494.
While startling for some neighbors, there has been no indication yet that the pilot did anything wrong.
"Crop dusters can also operate with different regulations than normal aircraft depending on the population density," a Henrico Police spokesperson shared via email. "Some parts of the West End of Henrico are still considered rural, so different altitude regulations apply there as well."
Click here to read an FAA guide to low-flying planes.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
