A Republican congressional candidate escaped serious injury when he crashed his plane in a cornfield after its engine stopped.

Duane Sand’s single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in southeastern North Dakota shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, Highway Patrol Capt. James Prochniak said. Sand, who was flying alone, suffered minor cuts, a bruised hip and bruises on his head.

“I’m just glad to be alive,” Sand said. “It was a pretty ugly crash. ... I’m sore, but I’m physically fit.”

The plane came down in soft soil, bounced, flipped forward and landed upside down. Sand was out walking around before emergency responders arrived, Prochniak said.

Sand, 43, is making his third bid for Congress. He is running against Democrat Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who is seeking his ninth term.

Sand got his pilot’s license in September and said he has about 150 hours of flying experience. He was flying at about 1,500 feet because of low clouds when his engine abruptly quit, he said.

“It happened so fast, the only thing I could do was put my hands in front of my face,” Sand said. “I didn’t realize I was flipping over until I saw the ground coming through my windshield.”