MN Pilot Only American to Survive China Plane Crash

A Minnesota pilot, who was the only American to survive a plane crash in China, has been moved to a different hospital in Shanghai.

Bill Johnson, 61, of Excelsior was one of seven people on a cargo plane when it crashed around 7 a.m. Saturday. Officials say the plane veered off the runway and burst into flames as it took off for Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Three American crew members died in the crash. Johnson and three foreign crew members were injured.

Johnson's wife, son and daughter left for Shanghai around 9 a.m. Sunday. His son, Bill Johnson Jr. updated his facebook status on his cell phone as he waited by the gate to board the plane. He wrote it's "nice to be en route to dad."

A team of U.S. investigators is also on their way to China to look into the crash.

On Sunday afternoon, Johnson's daughter-in-law, Heather Roe Johnson wrote on her Facebook page "please pray for Bill Sr's lungs to get strong so he is able to breathe on his own. We appreciate all of the well wishes and prayers."

Video provided by Shanghai Television shows Johnson on a hospital bed and breathing through a mask, but alert enough to say "thank you".

Authorities say early reports indicate the tail of the three-engine jet may have struck the ground before the crash, but details remain sketchy Sunday.

Shanghai Aviation authorities found the plane's flight data recorder Sunday. They also confirmed the aircraft, a Zimbabwe registered plane, was carrying general cargo, such as electronics and clothes and nothing illegal or sensitive.

More than 30 international flights were delayed after the crash, leaving about 4,000 travellers stranded on airplanes or in airport lounges.

Recent crashes in China include two Chinese air force jets colliding in June 2008 in Inner Mongolia, with both pilots parachuting to safety. In June 2006, a Chinese military plane crashed in eastern Anhui province, killing all 40 aboard.