Pilot walks away from plane crash near southern Minnesota airport

HIGH FOREST TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A pilot was taken to the hospital after a small plane crashed near Rochester International Airport on Sunday night.

Plane crash in Olmsted County

What we know:

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said a person reported seeing a small airplane crash around 10:15 p.m. near the 2700 block of County Road 16 Southwest in High Forest Township. 

Deputies arrived at the scene and found the wreckage of a single-engine airplane in a wooded area on private property, located on the north side of Rochester International Airport. 

Authorities say the pilot was found by the witness and transported to a nearby location where emergency personnel could reach them. The Mayo Clinic Ambulance Services then took the pilot to the hospital for a routine evaluation.

"Very luckily, the pilot was able to walk away from the accident on his own accord. And was seen by the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service, who transported the pilot to the hospital for just kind of routine evaluation due to the fact that, at the time, the medical or possible injuries were unknown," said Captain Tim Parkin of the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. 

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will be assisting in the investigation. 

What we don't know:

The sheriff’s office did not say what caused the plane to crash. As of Monday morning, the extent of the pilot’s injuries is unknown.