Small plane pulled from river
Aircraft removed a day after landing in Quinnipiac
WEST HAVEN — Officials removed a singleengine plane from the Quinnipiac River near the marina Friday, one day after the plane landed in the water following engine trouble.
New Haven Emergency Operations Director Rick Fontana said the city would remove the plane from the water before details of insurance were worked out because of long-term environmental concerns if the plane were to slip farther into the water.
Rick Swan, assistant director of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s emergency response unit, said the overall response was a “home run,” from the pilot who “went down gently” into the river after experiencing engine trouble to the good Samaritans who ensured the safety of the passengers, to the marina owner who made space for emergency crews to state officials who ensured there was no environmental impact from the crash.
Two people and a dog that had been on the plane were rescued by good Samaritans. No injuries were reported.
New Haven Assistant Fire Chief Justin McCarthy said the passengers, who had freed themselves from the plane and were in shallow water, were medically evaluated on land. McCarthy
said they were “a little shaken up.”
Fontana identified the passengers as Kyle Cannon and his wife, Katie. The plane is registered to MTB Flyers in Ohio.
He said crews worked quickly to place air bags below the plane to ensure it would not slip lower into the water.
Although the plane has the capacity for 75 gallons of aviation fluid, Swan said there was an estimated 55 gallons onboard
Several boat owners who were present for the emergency landing Thursday said it was unexpected, but did not cause a massive commotion.
Raylene Barkley said she had her back turned at the time and did not know the plane had landed in the water, instead becoming aware when other people began to shout.
“I heard all this chaos around me,” she said Friday. “I didn’t even hear the plane go down.”
Kevin, who only gave his first name, said he was flying a kite from on top of his boat when he noticed the plane was flying low.
“I saw the plane coming and thought it was way too low down,” he said.
Officials said the trip had originated in Wellington, Fla., before stopping in Woodbine, N.J. The two adults and dog were on their way to New Bedford, Mass., when the crash occurred, according to Fontana and Mayor Justin Elicker.
The pilot had radioed the tower at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport saying that he was in distress and the engine was sputtering. Sean Scanlon, executive director of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, said the pilot made a personal decision to land the plane, fearing he could not make it to Tweed.
“It was a very difficult situation for him and I think he made a very good decision,” Scanlon said Thursday.
Officials are concerned about the environmental impact, as the single-engine 1988 Beechcraft Bonanza landed on sensitive oyster beds, Elicker said.