74-year-old pilot uninjured after plane flips in Palisades Reservoir

 ALPINE, Idaho (KIFI) — A 74-year-old pilot walked away with only minor injuries Thursday afternoon after his aircraft clipped the ground and flipped into the snowy lake bed of the Palisades Reservoir.

At approximately 2:30 PM, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting a small, single-engine plane overturned in the reservoir lake bed, roughly a quarter-mile from the Alpine Airport.

Emergency responders from multiple agencies, including Alpine Search and Rescue, Star Valley Fire and Ambulance, rushed to the area.

As they arrived on the scene, the deputies made contact with the pilot and sole occupant, a 74-year-old man from Alpine, Wyoming. The man explained that while flying low past the end of the runway, a wing caught the ground during a turn. The momentum forced the plane to somersault, eventually coming to rest on its roof in the deep snow.

The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office notified the FAA and NTSB of the incident, who are investigating the crash.