Cliff Buchan
News EditorA St. Paul man escaped serious injury late Sunday night when he crashed his Cessna 150 in Clear Lake while attempting to land at Forest Lake Airport.
Joshua H. Simmers, 23, was flying from North Dakota to Wisconsin when his plane went down in the southeast corner of Clear Lake at 11 p.m., Forest Lake Police said.
Forest Lake Sgt. Ron Hanegraaf said witnesses reported hearing the planeís engine sputtering as it made its approach to the airfield from the north. Clear Lake is just north of the airfield and TH-97.
The plane flipped on its top upon impact in about five feet of water, the officer said. The pilot, who was alone in the plane, was able to free himself and make his way some 150-200 feet to shore.
Police found Simmers walking on Floral Bay Drive.
According to police reports, Simmers left the Skyhaven Airport in Enderlin, ND, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1966 Cessna 150. The planeís home field is the airport in New Richmond, WI.
Simmers claimed no injuries other than bumps and bruises, police said.
The 23-year-old is a student at Bethel Seminary in Arden Hills.
The investigation of the crash will involve the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Top of Page
