Plane Crashes Near Bluffton Airport

A man was seriously injured when he crashed his airplane near the Bluffton Airport.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says the crash happened at around 5:15 p.m. Monday in a field just south of the Bluffton Airport.

The Highway Patrol says Robert Searfoss, 48, of New Bavaria, was flying a 1968 Cessna 172 when he lost control and crashed into a field.

The plane struck nose first and flipped over.

Searfoss was seriously injured in the crash and was flown to a hospital in Toledo.

The crash remains under investigation.

The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Hancock County Sherriff’s Office, the Bluffton Police Department, the Bluffton Fire Department, Mercy Health Life Flight and the FAA.