Plane lands, crashes on Kelleys Island

KELLEYS ISLAND - A single-engine airplane crashed yesterday when its pilot attempted to land at the Kelleys Island Municipal Airport. He was not hurt but was cited for careless operation of an aircraft, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

Jason Todd Lasalle, 24, of Cleveland, who has logged 44 hours of flying, was flying a 1980 Cessna 152 owned by Daviation Inc., of Willoughby, Ohio from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, troopers at the patrol's Sandusky post said.

The crash occurred about 3 p.m. when the plane veered to the left after landing, ran onto snow-covered ground, and flipped over. The plane traveled about 100 feet from where it touched the ground to the crash site. The aircraft speed at the time of crash was about 51 mph as estimated by Mr. Lasalle, troopers said.

The crash damaged the propeller, both wings, the rudder, and the top of the aircraft. The pilot's inexperience was believed to be a factor in the crash, troopers said.