FERGUS FALLS, Minn. - A pilot from North Dakota sustained minor injuries when he was forced to crash-land his crop duster in a slough Thursday in Otter Tail County, Sheriff Brian Schlueter said.
Louren Orwick, 46, of Michigan, N.D., was flying back to the Fergus Falls airport when the airplane, an Air Tractor AT-502, lost fuel pressure, Schlueter said.
Orwick couldn't land the airplane on County Highway 15 because of traffic, so he landed in a large slough a short distance southwest of Einar Mickelson Field airport, Schlueter said. The airplane skidded across the water and flipped over, he said.
Orwick was shaken up with minor injuries but did not require an ambulance transport, Schlueter said.
Crews quickly removed the airplane from the slough in case of leaking fuel and took it to the airport, Schlueter said. The Federal Aviation Administration will follow up on the accident, which happened at 7:26 p.m., he said.
