March 4, 2023 - The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office officials reported that was on-scene of a crop duster airplane crash.

Friday afternoon, at 12:27 p.m. law enforcement, paramedics and fire personnel were dispatched to the 2400 block of Orchard Road in the city of Vernalis for an airplane that went down in the middle of a rural orchard, crashing into trees. The sole occupant pilot escaped and was transported by air ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of burns, a fracture, and altered levels of consciousness. His injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening at this time.

During the incident the airplane struck power lines, causing a safety hazard to emergency personnel. There is currently no immediate danger to the public but we ask people to avoid the area as additional resources arrive to assess the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be notified of the incident and take control of the investigation. They will determine the cause of the crash and can provide additional updates at a later time.

No roads have been closed and traffic has not been impacted to this point. There have been no other injuries reported.

Source: Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office