Pilot, 71, Escapes After Ultralight Plane Crashes Into Lake Mendocino

UKIAH, Calif. (AP/CBS13) — A pilot escaped with only minor injuries when his ultralight plane crashed Thursday into Lake Mendocino after experiencing engine trouble, authorities said.

The pilot, a 71-year-old man, said the single-engine aircraft lost power about 10 minutes after taking off from Ukiah Municipal Airport, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The plane hit the water at the south end of the lake, the statement said.

The pilot escaped the sinking aircraft and made it to shore, sheriff's officials said. He declined medical attention.

The plane, submerged in up to 30 feet (9 meters) of water, is expected to be recovered on Friday.

Ultralights are small, fixed-wing aircraft, typically with just one seat.