Lark of Duluth crashes into Superior Bay

Lark of Duluth replica
Husband and wife team Mark Marino and Sandra Ettestad taxi a replica of the Lark of Duluthin July 2013 in a file photo. The plane crashed Tuesday, July 16, 2013.
MPR Photo/Dan kraker

A replica of a historic airplane crashed into the Duluth harbor during a test flight late Tuesday morning. No one was injured in the crash, but St. Louis County Undersheriff Dave Phillips said The Lark of Duluth suffered significant damage.

"There were several struts and spars broken, torn fabric, the propeller was broken, the actual hull appeared to have sustained some damage, and the fuselage," Phillips said.

The Lark is a replica of a century-old floating biplane that became the world's first commercial airliner. A group of Duluth pilots spent the past five years researching and building the replica. It made its public debut at an aviation festival last weekend.

Sandra Ettestad, wife of pilot Mark Marino, declined comment, saying only they will rebuild the plane.

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