PARK TWP., MI (WHTC) – A 60-year-old Delton man has been hospitalized following the crash of his ultralight plane at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds late on Saturday afternoon.
According to Ottawa County Sheriff’s Sergeant Christie Wendt, the 2004 Gemini Twin had taken off from Park Township airport just before 6 PM, heading for Wayland when, according to pilot Michael Kerr, it encountered engine trouble. Kerr attempted to turn the craft around when the engine stalled out, so he looked to land on a field adjacent to the fairground’s Grandstand that is normally used for parking during events. The plane clipped a light pole and lines in the Grandstand’s infield, causing it to crash, and Kerr was reportedly thrown from the craft about 20 feet.
He was taken to Holland Hospital in serious condition with head and neck injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will take over the investigation of the matter.
