CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A small airplane had an emergency landing while returning to Avery County after delivering supplies in Western North Carolina for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, according to a news release. The pilot, 41-year-old Jordan Faught, of Lenoir, was not injured in the hard landing. North Carolina Highway Patrol secured the scene and FAA will conduct an investigation. Troopers say Faught had a hard landing after the single-engine Cessna he was flying experienced a mechanical failure, resulting in an emergency landing at the Hickory Regional Airport in Catawba County. No other details have been released at this time. Check back for updates. A previous version of this report described the plane as “crashing.” While the news release WCCB received from the NC Highway Patrol described the scene as a “crash,” we updated our report to reflect what we feel is a more accurate description.