A pilot was lucky to walk away uninjured Tuesday afternoon after his small plane crashed into a ditch north of Selkirk. The Cessna 180 had just taken off from the Selkirk Air airstrip on Breezy Point Road. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating. (Jason Halstead, QMI Agency)

SELKIRK, Manitoba - A pilot was lucky to walk away uninjured after his small plane crashed into a ditch north of Selkirk Tuesday afternoon.

The plane, a single-propeller Cessna 180, had just taken off from the Selkirk Air airstrip on Breezy Point Road north of Selkirk about 3 p.m. when it crashed into a ditch along Highway 4 in the RM of St. Andrews.

The pilot, who was the only person on board, was cleared by paramedics at the scene and driven home by Bob Polinuk, who owns Riverside Aircraft Maintenance at Selkirk Air.

"He was OK," Polinuk said.

The white plane with orange detailing and a graphic of cartoon dog Snoopy on the tail appeared to have hit the ditch nose-first before flipping upside down.

Polinuk would not divulge the name of the plane's operator but said he lives in St. Andrews, is in his 40s, and is an experienced bush pilot who regularly flies surveying trips up north.

Polinuk said the plane had just been serviced at Riverside and was scheduled for a flight up north in coming days. The pilot was taking a short flight from his air field to St. Andrews Airport when the crash occurred.

The Transportation Safety Board was on the scene investigating the crash.

Selkirk RCMP said early indications were that mechanical failure may have led to the crash.

jason.halstead@sunmedia.ca