The single-engine Cessna 182, piloted by James Cockrell, 29, went down around 2 a.m. in a back yard in a residential neighborhood about one mile from the Siler City Airport.
Orange County Sheriff's Deputies say the plane was scheduled to stop in Siler City on its way from Florida to Greensboro, but never made it.
The Paige family slept through the plane crash that narrowly missed their home, trampoline, picnic table, and a nearby propane tank.
Officials say Cockrell walked out of the plane with two fractured vertebrae, crossed the street and sought help from the Staleys, neighborhood residents who called 911.
Cockrell, who was alone in the plane, was taken to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro. Hospital officials say Cockrell does not want his condition released.
There is no word yet on what caused the crash, but according to the pilot, the engine failed and he could not restart it. The NTSB is investigating.
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