Small airplane crashes at Meridian Vineyards

 Details surrounding why an experimental airplane piloted by Paso Robles resident Louis Francis Reimus crashed at Meridian Vineyards on Wednesday were unclear this week but may surface as early as next week, according to a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman.

Reimus sustained major injuries after the plane he was flying in crashed in the vineyard around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday. He was transported to Twin Cities Community Hospital and was listed in fair condition as of press time.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.

According to the NTSB, which is heading the investigation, there is little information available at this point in regards to the details surrounding the crash, which occurred the middle of a vineyard fronting Meridian’s eastside tasting room.

The plane was hauled offsite and stored in a hangar at Paso Robles Municipal Airport, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.

Cal Fire Inspector Clint Bullard said there were no initial reports of fire when the plane crashed.

Pacific Gas & Electric crews were also on-site Wednesday. There was some initial concern that the plane may have struck and interfered with a 230-kilovolt power line strung over the vineyard, but instead it clipped a transition line, which in turn caused another to go down. No customers were impacted from the incident, said Emily Christensen, PG&E spokeswoman.

The man was in no way associated with the winery operation, Bullard said.

Meridian spokeswoman Allison Simpson said damages were being assessed but at this point they do not appear to be significant. She said that the plane crash did not affect the winery facility’s operations.

According to the FAA Web site, the plane, registered to Reimus, was homebuilt. Its engine, an Aeroconver Aerovee, is reciprocating, four-cycle engine that generates 80 horsepower and is classified as “light sport.”

The plane was manufactured in 2006, according to the FAA.