A farmer and pilot from southeastern Saskatchewan is battling in hospital after his crop duster crashed earlier this week.

On the morning of July 8, the pilot took off from a private airstrip around 160 kilometres southeast of Regina, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

While crop dusting the pilot’s own field, the plane collided with the ground at around 10:40 a.m. It came to rest upside down in a nearby field.

A fire broke out following the crash and the plane, a Piper PA-25-260, was destroyed.

RCMP, in addition to local fire crews and paramedics, responded to the scene located south of the hamlet of Beaubier.

Evan Hansen, who was the sole person inside the plane, was airlifted to hospital by STARS with injuries described as serious, according to RCMP.

In a post to social media, Hansen’s family said the pilot sustained burns on 80 per cent of his body. He is currently receiving care at the University of Alberta Hospital Burn Unit in Edmonton.

Hansen’s family declined an interview with CTV News, saying they are focused on Hansen’s recovery, but expressed appreciation for the support and outreach from the public so far.

A fundraiser launched for Hansen and his family had raised more than $87,000 as of Friday morning.

The TSB has classified the crash as a “Class 5 occurrence,” meaning it will not receive an investigation report.

However, the data compiled on the incident will be recorded for “possible future safety analysis, statistical reporting, or archival purposes.”