HAZEN – A 67-year-old Minot man died Sunday, June 28, when the plane he was flying crashed at the Mercer County Regional Airport at Hazen.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, about 1:45 p.m., a 1960 Piper plane was observed taking off from the airport. A short time later, the aircraft was observed attempting to return to the runway with its landing gear redeployed before losing altitude and impacting the ground.

The pilot died from injuries sustained in the crash, according to the Highway Patrol. The name of the pilot was not released yet.

The crash remains under investigation by the North Dakota State Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration.