Pilot survives fiery wreck in the South County

Cropdusting plane goes down in citrus grove

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A cropdusting planes crashes in a citrus grove in the South County, and bursts into flames. Yet, its pilot walks away uninjured.

The Somerton Cocopah Fire Department (SCFD) tells KYMA.com its crews were called to the area of County 18 3/4 and Avenue D around 8:30 Saturday night.

The plane went down in an area difficult to reach. It crashed on the north side of the West Main Canal, on the edge of the mesa.

Complicating the situation, the plane set the orchard on fire.

SCFD crews say both the aircraft and a number of trees were fully engulfed in flames when arrived. Firefighters used compressed foam to douse the blaze.

SCFD says, the pilot told firefighters the cropdusting plane was not gaining lift after take off, so he bailed out. The unmanned aircraft then crashed into the citrus grove and burst into flames.

The pilot claimed to be uninjured. He refused medical treatment.

The Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) is investigating the crash.