Minnesota pilot injured in Wisconsin light-plane crash

SOUTH WAYNE, Wis. (AP) — A Minnesota pilot was injured when his single-engine plane lost power and crashed in southern Wisconsin.

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office says the Cessna 172 crashed in a soybean field just after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday near South Wayne.

WISC-TV reports the pilot, 63-year-old Charles Rautiola, of Eagan, Minn., told authorities he was flying to Indiana when the engine lost oil pressure and quit before he could reach an airport. The plane’s front landing gear broke off on impact, and the plane skidded for a short distance before overturning onto its wings.

Rautiola told authorities he suffered a slight back injury. He was taken to a Monroe hospital. His passenger, 62-year-old Richard Smith, of Burnsville, Minn., was not hurt.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.