(KIWA Staff Photo)
Okoboji, Iowa (KUOO) — A small plane crashed late Saturday morning just northeast of the Spirit Lake airport.
Officials say the pilot was alone in the plane and was not injured. He was identified as 72-year-old Kenneth Kemna of North Fort Meyers, Florida.
According to the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were called to the scene just west of Kenue Park and the Dickinson County Nature Center around 10:45 a.m. They say Kemna had just taken off from the Spirit Lake Airport when the plane sustained a mechanical issue and crashed in a grassy area.
Multiple agencies responded, including Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire and Rescue, the Mildford Fire Department, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments from Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, Milford, and Okoboji. The Dickinson County Communications Center and Dickinson County Emergency Management also assisted.
Firefighters worked to clean up some fuel that was leaking from the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating.
