A pilot survives an upside-down plane crash in the Kenai refuge

A pilot survived a crash in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday that flipped his plane upside down in the trees, then texted 911 himself to say he'd crashed but wasn't seriously hurt.

The Cessna 185 came to rest inverted along the shore of Trapper Joe Lake, a remote spot deep in the refuge. The text came in about 11:40 am, Alaska State Troopers said.

The plane's emergency beacon was also transmitting, and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center launched a helicopter from Anchorage that flew the man back to the city, where he was checked for minor injuries. Wildlife troopers reached the lake by plane to document the wreck.

Troopers didn't name the pilot or give a cause. Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating and arranging to haul the plane off refuge land, and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.