1 hurt in Valley Ford ultralight crash

A 74-year-old man crashed ultralight aircraft Sunday evening after striking an electrical line while flying low over a field in Valley Ford.

“It looks like he hit the wire and did a nosedive,” said Sonoma County sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Raasch at the scene about 7:30 p.m., 90 minutes after the crash. “He landed feet first and left good sized divot.”

The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the recreational aircraft, suffered significant injuries to his legs when he crashed around 6 p.m., Raasch said. A CHP helicopter flew the man to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and he is expected to survive.

The ultralight recreational aircraft looked much like a hang glider but with a small motor and propeller, Raasch said. The wings were made out of aluminum poles and synthetic fabric with the pilot sitting in an open seat with his legs exposed. The craft was destroyed in the crash.

The unidentified man took off from a private property in Sebastopol and was traveling south when he struck the power line less than 100 feet off the ground on private property at 14792 School Road off Valley Ford Road, Raasch said.

Power to about 17 homes in the ranch land on the border of Sonoma and Marin counties was cut after the accident, according to PG&E. The power was expected to be restored by early Monday.

The firetrucks from nearby fire departments became stuck in the muddy wet grass after responding to the incident and had to be towed out by the property owner with his farm tractor, Raasch said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified but will not investigate, Raasch said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nick Rahaim at 707-521-5203 or nick.rahaim@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nrahaim.