Pilot makes emergency landing in Morrison County

MORRISON COUNTY, Minn. — An investigation is underway after a pilot in a small plane had to make an emergency landing in near Pierz Monday afternoon.
The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office says they received a report Monday afternoon of a plane that went down on Highway 27, around four miles west of Pierz. 
Authorities say a 53-year-old man was flying from the Brainerd area to Eden Prairie. The man, from Eden Prairie, lost engine power at 3,500 feet in the air and reported he needed to make an emergency landing on the highway.
Once on the roadway, according to the sheriff’s office, he drove the plane in the ditch to avoid traffic. The man was the only person on board and wasn’t injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. 
Last week, a pilot in northwestern Wisconsin needed to make an emergency landing with the small plane he was flying. The Federal Administration Agency says engine issues were the cause.