Sheriff: Small Plane Crashes 'Upside Down' On Coon Lake, 72-Year-Old Pilot Rescued By Good Samaritan
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says a small plane crashed on Coon Lake, in the city of Ham Lake, on Thursday afternoon. The 72-year-old pilot was rescued from the water and brought to shore by a good samaritan before first responders arrived.
Authorities say Paul Erwin Youngquist of Coon Rapids was flying the Cessna 180, which had been outfitted with floats.
After leaving the Blaine Airport en-route to Cambridge, he said he decided to do a "touch-and-go maneuver" on the water; however, the plane's landing gear was in the down position and when it made contact with the water the plane crashed upside down.
According to a press release, the pilot had only "minor injuries," and was treated at the scene by Allina EMS. No one else was on-board at the time of the crash, which happened just before 2 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration has since been contacted to investigate the crash. The Minnesota DNR has also been notified -- and plans are being made to recover the plane wreckage from the water.
