Richard Bach, the author of the 1970s best-selling novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull is in a serious condition in hospital today after his plane crashed in Washington state.
The SeaRey single-engine amphibian aircraft, which he called Puff, clipped power lines at 4.30pm on Friday, about three miles west of Friday Harbor Airport, said Ian Gregor, a public affairs manager for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Bach's son James said his father was on his way to visit a friend on San Juan Island when the plane crashed.
He said his 76-year-old father, who was flying alone, had a head injury and a broken shoulder, but tweeted today that his condition was improving in Harborview Medical Centre, Seattle.
"Things are looking better. Doctors are 'guardedly optimistic'," his son said.
Bach is famous for his spiritually-oriented books rooted in themes of flight and self-discovery,
In Jonathan Livingston Seagull, published in 1970, he writes of a philosophically-minded seagull seeking to rise above the flock, which is focused on the dull regimen of finding food scraps. Jonathan is banished from the group only to come upon more enlightened gulls who guide him to spiritual lessons, which Jonathan then imparts to others.
The short, simply-crafted book gained little to no critical attention upon publication, but rose to No 1 for several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and Bach quickly drew a loyal following.
Bach has been a pilot for his adult life, often touching on his experience in the cockpit of his beloved plane in his writings. Besides Seagull, his other popular works include Illusions: The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah, a mystical story of a Midwestern barnstorming pilot's quest for self-discovery.
He often links the practice of flying to themes of a deeper spiritual quest.
"Dad described his religion as flying. He's a very avid aviator," James Bach said. "It would be terrible if he recovers and can't fly again - this guy needs to fly."
Richard Bach moved to Washington state's remote San Juan Islands more than 20 years ago, living on Orcas Island, his son said. The scenic San Juans are a pastoral spot about 100 miles north west from Seattle, reachable by ferry or plane.
Bach wrote on his website on Tuesday that it was "joyfully astonishing, how quick civilisation can disappear when little Puff wants to be a boat and take me with her, the two of us gone off alone with the sea and the sky".
In the past month Bach posted videos of his aircraft landing on water next to nearby islands.
"It's probably time to get back to non-flying themes, but Puff and I've been flying just about every day," he wrote.