PAYNESVILLE — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a plane crash in the central Minnesota city of Paynesville that left the pilot hospitalized.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said it happened around 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

The pilot, 71-year-old Michael Jude, told responders he was flying from Clear Lake to Paynesville when his engine began to overheat. He attempted to land but aborted his first attempt and was coming back around when the engine failed. He tried to land in a corn field about a half-mile from the runway. The plane landed hard, damaging the wings and collapsing the landing gear.

The pilot was standing outside the plane when rescuers arrived. He was taken to a local hospital then transferred to St. Cloud Hospital.

The plane was a single-engine, amateur-built plane from 2009.