Small Plane From North Bay Crashes During Landing in Fresno

FRESNO, CA – A Sonoma man flying a small plane from Petaluma to a rural Fresno County airstrip lost control and flipped the aircraft while trying to land this morning, according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

The 78-year-old man, whose name was not released, was trying to land at the Mercey Hot Springs resort's airstrip west of Interstate Highway 5 near Firebaugh when the plane flipped over.

The "man from Sonoma lost control of his Sonex plane while attempting to land on the Mercy Hot Spring air strip and it flipped over," the agency said.

The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the Sonex kit plane, suffered minor injuries to his shoulder and face and refused medical treatment, sheriff's officials said.

"He was the only person on the plane and fortunate to walk away," deputies said. "He took off earlier in the day from Petaluma. The FAA and NTSB were notified."

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--Bay City News contributed to this report/Images via Fresno County Sheriff's Office