Founder of Minnesota-based Precision Lens dies when vintage airplane crashes in Montana

The founder of the Minnesota-based medical products company Precision Lens died when a vintage plane crashed shortly after takeoff at an airport in Montana. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Precision Lens officials confirmed that Paul Ehlen was piloting the plane that went down at 8:07 a.m. Tuesday at the Ravalli County Airport in Hamilton, Montana. The aircraft was a World War II vintage P-40E registered with the Federal Aviation Administration to one of Ehlen’s LLCs. Authorities say Ehlen was alone on the plane and was pronounced dead at the scene. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.