University Of North Dakota Student Went Down On Departure From Minnesota Airport

A University of North Dakota student who is also an Air China employee sustained minor injuries Saturday when the Cessna 172 he was piloting on a routine cross country flight went down shortly after takeoff from Park Rapids Municipal Airport in Minnesota. The airplane, owned by the University of North Dakota was "substantially damaged" in the incident.

The Morris, Minnesota Sun Tribune reports that UND Spokesman Peter Johnson said Li Yang was attempting to take off about 2200 Saturday from Park Rapids when his airplane went down between 100 and 150 yards from the end of the runway. Johnson said in a news release that the airplane sustained "substantial damage", and that weather did not appear to be a factor in the incident.

File Photo

Yang was treated for minor injuries and flown back to Grand Forks, North Dakota. The director of safety for UND's aviation school said the incident would be investigated.

Yang is one of several Air China employees studying aviation at UND. Johnson said Yang was on a "routine solo cross-country flight" which is part of the schools aviation curriculum. Johnson described UND's aviation school as having a "stellar safety program."

FMI: http://aviation.und.edu/Home/Default.aspx