Occupants OK after small plane crashes, catches fire in Douglas County

A small plane crashed during an emergency landing and caught fire Saturday in Brandon, Minnesota, leaving a teenage passenger with only a minor injury.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, 53-year-old Paul Erickson, who was piloting the single-engine Piper PA-18 Super Cub, told deputies he was attempting a takeoff when the engine failed momentarily. While attempting to land, he crashed the plane into a small pole and some brush at the end of the grass runway.

The plane caught fire, but Paul Erickson and the other occupant, 15-year-old Alicia Erickson, were able to get out relatively unscathed.

According to the sheriff’s office, Alicia had suffered a small burn to her leg and was released after medical personnel evaluated her at the scene, and Paul Erickson was unharmed.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.