1 death reported in Beaver Island plane crash

Beaver Island – A 72-year-old pilot has died in the crash of a small plane on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan.

The Charlevoix County sheriff’s office say an explosion was heard near the island’s airport around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard assisted authorities in locating the Piper twin-engine plane in a dense, wooded area.

The pilot was identified as Donald Falik of Charlotte, near Lansing. He was the only person aboard the plane.

Beaver Island is off the northwestern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. A ferry operates between the island and Charlevoix.