A Brainerd man was arrested Saturday, June 20, after the ultralight airplane he was piloting crashed near Gull Point on the south end of Gull Lake.
A passenger, Estelle Paulson, 35, Nisswa, was treated at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd and released after the crash.
The pilot, Jonathan Douglas Kurilla, 43, was arrested for alcohol-related violations, according to the Cass County Sheriff's Department.
After the plane crashed into the lake, Kurilla and Paulson were pulled from the water and taken to shore by people who witnessed the crash, which occurred at 7:21 p.m., according to the sheriff's department.
Kurilla was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was being held on criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm, second-degree driving while intoxicated and driving after license revocation.
A decision on formal criminal charges was expected Tuesday.
According to the Brainerd Dispatch, a witness who saw the ultralight airplane flying Saturday told the Dispatch the airplane had made two passes near Ernie's on Gull Lake, both times flying very close to the water before pulling up near the restaurant.
Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher told the Dispatch that as of Monday morning the airplane remained in Gull Lake and it was Kurilla's responsibility to recover the airplane.
Fisher said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
