Dr. Marvell Scott and a passenger escaped after the single-engine Cessna 210 they were in went up in flames Jan. 21 at Sussex Airport in Wantage
A New York doctor and former television sportscaster landed a small airplane with its landing gear retracted in Sussex County in January, leading to a fire that destroyed the plane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Marvell Scott and a passenger escaped after the single-engine Cessna 210 went up in flames Jan. 21 at Sussex Airport in Wantage, the NTSB said in a report.
Scott, 45, had just obtained his private pilot license and had about 150 hours of flying time, according to the NTSB.
After the crash, Scott told air-safety investigators he "thought he put the gear down but realized that he probably recycled the gear up" while handling another control next to it, according to a report.
There was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane.
As they landed, the tail hit first and the nose hit the landing strip hard. They skidded to a stop and Scott and an unidentified passenger got out as the plane caught fire.
Scott told the investigator he was surprised at how quickly the plane became engulfed in flames.
"He acknowledged his wounded pride but was glad nobody got hurt," the NTSB report said.
Public records show Scott has addresses in Sparta and New York City. He could not immediately be reached for comment at his sports medicine practice in Manhattan.
The medical doctor and former journalist left his job with WABC-TV in 2009. In 2010, he was charged with the second-degree rape of a 14-year-old runaway.
The victim had been coerced into prostitution by an adult male, according to reports.
Scott pleaded guilty to misdemeanor injuring the welfare of a child, received 20 days of community service and had his record cleared, reports said. Public records show Scott was reprimanded over the allegations but did not lose his medical license.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.