Northern California ultralight plane crashes into Lake Shasta; pilot rescued

A pilot of an ultralight airplane who crashed into Lake Shasta early Wednesday after losing control of the aircraft 200 feet above the water was rescued without serious injuries, said Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

The pilot of the amphibious Explorer 103 crashed in shallow water just before 6:30 a.m. in the Hirz Bay area of the lake, sheriff’s office said in a news release. The man, who was wearing a flotation device at the time of the crash, was found safe by sheriff’s office rescuers while sitting atop one of the plane’s pontoons.

The man told rescuers that his plane had just taken off and reached a height of about 200 feet when he lost control of the aircraft and it plunged into the lake. The Explorer 103 is a gas-powered personal aircraft that can land on water with pontoons or on land using retractable wheels.

The pilot freed himself after impact and floated to the surface, where he awaited sheriff’s deputies. A family member heard the crash and called emergency dispatchers.

Rescuers and medical personnel arrived by boat and took the man ashore. He suffered minor injuries and transported himself to a nearby hospital.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.