The pilot, 72-year-old Jerry L. Kincaid, was attempting to take off from the Sterling Air Park heading west when his engine died and his plane slammed into a runway, troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said.
"He was able to get the engine restarted but he wasn't able to keep it in the air," Ipsen said.
Kincaid owns the single-engine, home-built Waiex airplane, according to Federal Aviation Administration registration records.
Multiple callers to 911 reported the crash about 3 p.m., said Clint Johnson, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
"Witnesses down there said they heard the engine quit and it crashed at the airport," said Johnson, who noted that the information was only a preliminary report. A full investigation will follow, he said.
The plane's undercarriage and landing gear were damaged, Ipsen said. "It was not a messy crash," she said.
Kincaid suffered contusions to his head and a possible concussion, Ipsen said. He was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center for treatment, she said.
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