1 dead, 1 hurt in small plane crash near Brainerd

Published 9:51 am Monday, July 23, 2012

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says a pilot was killed and a passenger was injured when a small plane crashed into Upper Whitefish Lake near Brainerd.

It happened just before 10 a.m. Sunday. FAA spokesman Roland Herwig says the Skystar Kitfox 4 fixed-wing, single-engine plane was submerged about 75 yards offshore.

The Crow Wing County sheriff’s office says the pilot, a 55-year-old Crosslake man, died at the scene. The passenger, a 61-year-old Crosslake man, was taken to a Crosby hospital with serious injuries. The sheriff’s office was withholding their names while family members were notified.

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Crow Wing County Sergeant Chad Paulson says the cause of crash remains unknown. The FAA will investigate.

FAA records say the plane was amateur-built in 2008 and was registered to a 55-year-old Crosslake man.