A department head in Chisago County cracked up his experimental aircraft during a "hard landing" soon after departing the Rush City Municipal Airport, authorities said.
Parks and Trails Director Laird Mork, 54, survived his injuries suffered Saturday evening and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Mork, of Harris, left the airport about 7:10 p.m. and "appeared to lose control during the flight shortly after takeoff," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement based on witness accounts.
The plane "then made a hard landing, causing the landing gear to collapse," the statement continued. The aircraft suffered significant damage, the Sheriff's Office added.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
