An ultralight aircraft crashed into Lake Shasta Wednesday. At around 6:30AM, a 9-1-1 caller reported the crash in the Hirz Bay area. It was a compact gas-powered amphibious ultralight craft with retractable wheels for landing on the ground and small pontoons for landing on the water. The pilot said he had just taken off and climbed to about 200 feet when he lost control and the aircraft nosedived into the water. He was wearing an auto-inflating flotation device, so he safely surfaced. When Boating Safety Deputies and medical personnel arrived the contraption was floating upside-down and the man was sitting on top of one of the pontoons.He sustained minor injuries in the crash. Federal authorities were notified, but since the ultralight is not registered as an aircraft nor a boat, there will be no investigation.
-Steve Gibson