Bullet Strikes Firefighting Plane in Northern Minnesota
A single-engine Air Tractor plane contracted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was struck by a bullet while scooping water from Kjostad Lake on Friday evening. The aircraft sustained damage to its tail section but landed safely at Hibbing Airport with no injuries reported.
nypost.comA single-engine Air Tractor plane contracted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was struck by a bullet while scooping water from Kjostad Lake on Friday evening. The aircraft sustained damage to its tail section but landed safely at Hibbing Airport with no injuries reported.
The plane was one of two dispatched that afternoon to battle a wildland fire in Portage Township, a sparsely populated rural area a few miles from the Canadian border. The damage was not noticed until after the aircraft returned to the airport.
Investigation Underway St.
Louis County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. Sheriff Gordon Ramsay stated that authorities will work to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. "We are grateful the pilot was not injured or killed. The last thing these tremendous pilots should have to be concerned about is being shot at," Ramsay said.
The incident occurred during active firefighting operations in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border.
