Kansas pilot escapes injury when plane’s wing hits windmill

LIBERAL, Kan. – The Kansas Highway Patrol says the pilot of a crop duster plane was not hurt when the wing of his aircraft hit a windmill tower and crashed in southwest Kansas.

Troopers say the fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft was flying north Monday morning when its right wing struck the windmill near Liberal, about 200 miles (320 kilometres) west of Wichita. The aircraft hit the ground and slid to a stop.

Emergency crews were called to the scene. The patrol says the pilot, 61-year-old Craig Stratton, of Meade, had no apparent injuries.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Federal Aviation Administration records show the 1997 Air Tractor turboprop is owned by Stratton’s company, Crop-Serv Inc., which is also known as Bringham Flying Service.

___

Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com