Cessna 152: Pilot Injured In Plane Crash Near Priest Lake. Cavanaugh Bay Airport (66S), Coolin, Idaho.

www.khq.com 
Picture Of The Wreckage and a Picture Of Dr. Hershey From Feb. 6 2011

A small plane crashed at an airstrip near the southern end of Priest Lake Tuesday morning. Alan Liske, the manager of the Cavanaugh Bay Airstrip, told Dave Cotton on KHQ.com's Noon live NewsBreak that witnesses say the plane dipped shortly before landing, the pilot added power, banked, and crashed into some trees near a pond to the east side of the airstrip.

Liske said the pilot, Dr. John Hershey of Chattaroy, Washington, suffered significant head injuries and was taken to an area hospital via Medstar. There were no other people in the plane and no one on the ground was injured.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

At approximately 11:00 a.m. today, Bonner County Sheriff's deputies responded to a reported plane crash at the Cavanagh Bay Airstrip located at the south end in the Priest Lake area in Coolin, Idaho.

Dr. John Hershey, of Chattaroy, Washington, was flying his Cessna 152. While attempting a landing at Cavanagh Bay airstrip, witnessed indicated that it appeared that the plane was experiencing trouble during its final approach and the plane veered off the runway where witnesses heard the plane crash.

Emergency personnel located the wreckage, where they discovered Dr. Hershey, who was conscious. He was removed from the wreckage and transported via MedStar helicopter to Kootenai Medical Center. His current condition is unknown.

The FAA is responding to investigate the cause of the crash and Bonner County deputies are standing by to assist the FAA with their investigation.