Groveland Area Plane Crash Injures Alaska Pilot

Groveland, CA — A private plane crash just before seven o´clock Saturday evening seriously injured 69 year old Bill Cranford of Big Lake, Alaska.

The preliminatry investigation indicates that soon after takeoff the plane lost power, clipped several power lines, flipped over and landed nose down in a ditch at the intersection of Ferretti Rd. and Boitano Rd. approximately one mile from the Pine Mountain Lake Airport.

Cranford suffered moderate to serious injuries to his arm and his forehead and was medi-flighted to a Modesto hospital. The injuries are reported to be non-life threatening.

P.G.& E. has repaired the power lines and traffic was reopened on Ferretti Rd. shortly after six o´clock this morning.

The plane is a 1959 Cessna 175A, GO-300 series registered out of Tucson, Arizona.

Written by Bill Johnson