HAZEN, N.D. — A 67-year-old Minot man died in a plane crash at Mercer County Regional Airport on Sunday, June 28.
At approximately 1:45 p.m., a 1960 Piper airplane took off from the airport, according to a North Dakota Highway Patrol news release. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft attempted to return to the runway with its landing gear deployed but lost altitude and crashed.
The pilot, whose name has not been disclosed, succumbed to injuries from the incident. Weather conditions at the time of the crash were reported as normal.
The incident is under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration.