72-Year-Old Coon Rapids Man Survives Small Plane Crash

HAM LAKE (AP) -- A 72-year-old Coon Rapids man has suffered only minor injuries when the small plane he was piloting crashed in the city of Ham Lake.

Anoka County sheriff's authorities say Paul Erwin Youngquist was headed from Cambridge to the Blaine Airport when he decided to try a ``touch-and-go maneuver'' on the water of Coon Lake Thursday afternoon.

Authorities say the plane's landing gear was in the down position when Youngquist skimmed the surface, causing the Cessna 180 to crash upside down. An onlooker brought Youngquist to shore.

Youngquist was treated at the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.