(KUOO) — A small plane crashed late Saturday morning just northeast of the Spirit Lake Airport.
The pilot, who was the only person on board, walked away from the wreckage without injury. He has been identified as 72-year-old Kenneth Kemna of North Fort Myers, Florida.
According to the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were called to the scene just west of Kenue Park and the Dickinson County Nature Center at approximately 10:43 a.m. Deputies say Kemna had just taken off from the Spirit Lake Airport when the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and crashed in a grassy area.
Responding agencies included the Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire and Rescue, Milford Fire Department, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments from Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, Milford, and Okoboji. The Dickinson County Communications Center and Dickinson County Emergency Management also assisted at the scene.
Firefighters worked to contain and clean up fuel leaking from the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
