‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ Author Richard Bach Hurt in Plane Crash

Richard Bach, the author of the best-selling novella, is in "serious condition" after the plane he was flying crashed off the Washington coast

Richard Bach, the author of the best-selling novella "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," was injured in a plane crash Friday off the coast of Washington state.

Bach, 76, was flying the plane and is in serious condition in a Seattle hospital, his son James Bach told the Associated Press. He was flying to visit a friend on the  San Juan Islands, but during landing, his plane hit a power line and crashed.

James Bach told the Associated Press that his father was lucid and responsive.

"Things are looking better. Doctors are 'guardedly optimistic,'" he tweeted.

Released in 1970 to little critical fanfare, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" nonetheless captured readers' imaginations with its slender story of a seagull who loved to fly. It became a runaway best-seller, shattering hardcover sales records set by "Gone With the Wind."

Other books by Bach include "Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" (1977) and "The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story" (1984).

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