ROYAL CITY - A Royal Flying Service crop dusting airplane burned early Tuesday morning after making a hard landing on the side of state Route 26 near the Royal Golf Course.

The plane was "pretty much burned," RFS owner Jock Warren said. He is attempting to acquire a replacement plane to finish the spraying season.

Warren added that he is grateful his pilot, Jared Felder, 27, escaped injury after guiding his crippled craft to the ground.

Felder left the RFS field with the 1976 Thrush SR2 at about 6 a.m. Shortly afterward the plane experienced a loss of power, and Felder tried to make it to the highway near Dodson Road.

"Felder said he dumped his load of fertilizer in hopes of clearing power lines," Grant County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ryan Rectenwald said.

After clearing the lines, Felder negotiated the plane toward the highway. Felder came up just short of the highway but landed upright, skidding into the south bar pit.

Felder exited the plane safely, just before it caught fire.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office, Royal City Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Grant County Fire District 10 and American Medical Response answered the call to the emergency.

The roadway was shut down for a brief time but was later re-opened, Rectenwald said. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Warren was able to inspect the plane's engine afterward. He said it appeared a cylinder cracked.