Plane Goes Down After Takeoff

The pilot and co-owner of a 1999 AeroComp Comp-Air 6 (file photo of type, right) was injured Wednesday when the aircraft went down immediately after takeoff just off runway 5 at Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, MN.

Details on pilot Craig Larson's condition aren't known at this time, although according to the FAA Preliminary Report Larson suffered minor injuries in the accident. He was the only person onboard the aircraft, according to the Brainerd Dispatch, and was taken first back to the hangar, then to a local hospital.

There was no post-impact fire after the plane went down, although the aircraft hit "pretty hard," according to airport manager Steve Sievek, adding the airplane's engine was separated from the aircraft.

The FAA is invesigating the accident.

The plane's other owner, Scott Watland, said he was unaware of the accident until he was contacted late Wednesday afternoon by a reporter, according to the Brainerd paper.

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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 4334Z        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP- AERO COMP-6
  Date: 11/30/2005     Time: 2025

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: BRAINERD   State: MN   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  CRASHED ON TAKE OFF AT BRAINERD, MN AIRPORT. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE
  UNKNOWN. BRAINERD, MN

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: SPECI KBRD 302000Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW022 OVC 100 M07/M12 A3002 RMK A02

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Take-off      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: UNK                         Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK

  FAA FSDO: MINNEAPOLIS, MN  (GL15)               Entry date: 12/01/2005

FMI: www.faa.gov