A 76-year-old pilot from New York sustained minor injuries after crashing an airplane into Moosehead Lake in Greenville on Saturday, less than a week after another plane crashed into Flagstaff Lake.
[RELATED: Two Killed In Freak Western Maine Weekend Boating Accident, Then Plane Crashes Into Same Lake…]
The Bangor Regional Communications Center received notice at around 8:55 a.m. on Saturday that an amphibious plane had crashed into Moosehead Lake. Maine Game Wardens, the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, local fire and rescue departments, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the crash.
Barry Holtz, 76, of Fairport, New York, was in Maine for Greenville’s annual International Seaplane Splash-In when he attempted to land his plane on Moosehead Lake.
The plane, a five-passenger, twin-engine Grumman G-44A Widgeon amphibious plane, crashed during landing. Holtz escaped through the plane’s rear door after the main door would not open.
Holtz was transported to the Northern Light CA Dean Hospital for treatment for minor facial injuries.
First responders were not able to recover the plane because it sank to “extreme depths.” Further recovery attempts will take place at a later date.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash.
This is the second Maine plane crash within a week. Last Monday, 62-year-old Stephen Vorpagel of Readfield crashed his 1956 Cessna 170B floatplane into Flagstaff Lake.
Both Vorpagel and his passenger sustained minor injuries.
