Crop Duster Hits Power Line and Crashes North of Scottsbluff

August 18th, 2020 | Scott Miller

Authorities say a crop duster pilot suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries in a crash north of Scottsbluff Tuesday morning.

Initial reports of the crash along Highway 71 north of the Scotts Bluff Country Club came in around 8:50 a.m. according to emergency communications.

(Murphy/KNEB/RRN)

Sheriff Mark Overman tells KNEB News the plane hit a power line, causing the line to come down and hit the front of the cab on a semi hauling a load of cattle that was traveling southbound.

He says the pilot was transported to Regional West Medical Center for his injuries, and the semi driver and the cattle on board were not injured.

(Murphy/KNEB/RRN)

Overman says the area will be an active scene for hours, and the public is asked to stay away, especially due to related power lines that were damaged  over a significant area.

NPPD and Roosevelt Public Power crews are on the scene, as NPPD spokesman Mark Becker says the crash took down at least eight transmission line structures, impacting customers north of Scottsbluff for both power districts. Becker says NPPD has 2,400 customers affected, including inside city limits, because the incident caused the system lock out, attempt to open back up again and then continue to lock out.  He says the NPPD outage map is down for maintenance, and does not show the current situation.

(Murphy/KNEB/RRN)

Overman says officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have been called to investigate the crash.

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