DeKalb-based MiG crashes in Minn.

One of two vintage Russian MiGs that was housed at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport was badly damaged in a crash Thursday in Eden Prairie, Minn.

The pilot, identified as William Ward of Ann Arbor, Mich., suffered some minor injuries but is OK.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the 1975 MiG-21 was landing at Flying Cloud Airport when its landing parachute collapsed and the plane overshot the runway. An official report from the Federal Aviation Administration will be issued within the coming weeks.

The wreckage of the plane caused one part of the road to be shut down until workers could clear the street. A police officer on the scene doubted that the fighter jet would ever fly again.

Calls to Ward’s office at Red Eagle Evaluation and Airshows were not returned Thursday evening. According to his website, he has at least 24 years of flight experience and is “extremely knowledgeable on a wide variety of Soviet aircraft capabilities.”

“The pilot was very capable, and the plane appeared to be in good mechanical shape when it left this morning,” said DeKalb airport manager Tom Cleveland. To his knowledge, there were no prior issues with the landing parachute with the MiG.

DeKalb Airport still has one other MiG. The pilot of that plane, Paul van den Heuvel, declined to comment on the crash.

The plane was scheduled to be a part of the Wings of the North AirExpo at the airport. According to the Star Tribune, the expo will go on as scheduled.