BELFAST (AP) – A 66-year-old man was in critical condition Wednesday after crashing his ultralight aircraft into a stand of trees at the Belfast Airport.

Elwyn “Red” Higgins of Searsport was injured at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday when he attempted to climb down from his wrecked ultralight, which was dangling in a tree about 50 feet above the ground.

Leroy Brown, a friend who witnessed the crash, said Higgins unlocked his safety belt and began descending the tree when a limb broke and he tumbled to the ground.

Brown said Higgins had flown the craft three or four times since buying it earlier this year.

After the accident, Higgins was flown by Lifeflight helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was listed in critical condition.

AP-ES-05-23-07 1014EDT


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