CRYSTAL, Minn. — Crews worked to clear the debris left behind from a small plane and vehicle collision on a highway in Crystal Tuesday morning after the pilot of the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing.
Brooklyn Park Police Department (BPPD) Public Information Officer Elliot Faust spoke to reporters at the crash scene on Highway 81 just hours after the crash, saying the department learned of the incident around 10:30 a.m. According to Faust, the pilot reported having mechanical issues as he approached the Crystal Airport, telling aviation officials he would have to make an emergency landing.
Faust said the plane lost power as it ran parallel with the southbound lanes of Highway 81, striking power lines before colliding with a passing vehicle and coming to a stop in the road.
Police say the 23-year-old pilot, flying solo in the single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft, was treated for minor injuries at the scene, while the driver of the vehicle, a 32-year-old man, was transported to a local hospital also with minor injuries.
Brooklyn Park Fire Department Chief Shawn Conway applauded the pilot, saying he was "grateful" there weren't more serious injuries as a result of the crash.
"The fact that he impacted one vehicle and was able to put the aircraft down... is probably a testament to his skills as a pilot," Conway said.
Chief Conway said the pilot remained on scene while officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived to assist with the investigation.
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