A Spokane man operating an ultra-light aircraft at the Coeur d’Alene Airport was seriously injured Friday afternoon after crashing his plane shortly after takeoff.

The incident shut down one of the airport’s two runways for several hours, said airport director Steven Kjergaard. No other aircraft was involved.

Thomas Stotts, 51, was listed in fair condition Friday night, according to a nursing supervisor at Kootenai Health.

Kjergaard said a 911 call was made shortly before 5 p.m. of an aircraft incident involving the small craft.

Conditions at the time, Kjergaard said, were “breezy and sunny” and he was unsure if weather contributed to the accident.

Kjergaard said this is the first injury accident he is aware of at the Coeur d’Alene Airport in at least three years.

Ultra-light aircraft are discouraged from operating at the airport, but not banned, Kjergaard said.

“When you have an aircraft coming in at 20-30 mph vs. a jet that may land at 140-200 mph, it’s something we would not prefer,” he said.

Increasingly popular with visitor and corporate traffic, the Coeur d’Alene Airport accommodates about 85,000 operations per year, the airport director said. Each take-off and landing constitute two operations.

Northern Lakes Fire and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reported to the scene.

Kjergaard said the incident has been reported to the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, who will investigate.

Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor. The incident remains under investigation.