Man injured in Willow Lake plane crash

WILLOW — An Anchorage man was injured Sunday afternoon when his plane stalled and crashed shortly after take off from Willow Lake.

Alaska State Troopers and Willow emergency services personnel responded to the scene after numerous reports of the crash came in around 4:17 p.m., Sunday.

The pilot, Stephen Long, 63, told troopers he’d just taken off when the 1981 Taylorcraft F21 he was flying started to stall due to lack of wing speed. He told troopers he tried to turn the plane to avoid hitting the trees, but his right wing clipped the water and pulled him in, trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen said.

Ipsen said the plane did not flip, but was partially submerged in the lake.

Onshore, people who heard the crash jumped in their pontoon boat and motored to the crash scene, picked up Long and brought him back to the Willow Community Center to meet an ambulance, Ipsen said. She said he reported back pain and a gash on his chin.

Ipsen said Department of Environmental Conservation also responded to the scene after the plane began leaking fuel. She said a person was using a boat to tow the plane to shore when one of its floats caught on the lake bottom 20- to 30-feet off shore and fuel began leaking.

Ipsen the said the National Traffic Safety Board also was notified.