(Royal)– A small plane that was crop spraying crashed this (Monday) morning in a field south of Royal.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says authorities were called to the scene about a mile and-a-half south of Royal around 8:30 a.m.
Upon arriving the pilot, Michael McDonald of Pocatello, Idaho was found sitting on the east shoulder of 140th Avenue and was being attended to by an eyewitness.
The witness reported seeing the aircraft eastbound over a cornfield at a low altitude. The witness said it disappeared behind some standing corn before he saw corn flying and the aircraft not fly out.
McDonald was treated on the scene and was transported to Spencer Hospital where he was treated and released.
The aircraft, a 1963 Piper Pawnee registered to Terry Osher of Wallingford and leased to Hoppe Air Spray of Beaman, Iowa, was totaled. The aircraft is valued at 45-thousand dollars.
Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration are on the scene this (Monday) afternoon.
Authorities say McDonald was sparying a fungicide mixture. The DNR says there was no threat to the environment and that necessary precautions have been taken to minimize risks to personnel cleaning up the wreckage.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Royal, Everly and Spencer Fire and Rescue Departments, Spencer Municiapl Hospital; Clay County Emergency Mangement; Green Plains Co-op; Iowa DNR; Clay County Secondary Roads; and the Spencer Airport.
