A small private plane crashed in the water on the gulfside of Marathon on Aug. 19.
Good Samaritans picked up two individuals on board. There were no reported injuries.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the incident. The Sheriff’s Office notified the Federal Aviation Administration of the incident.
“Luckily, no one was hurt and both the pilot and co-pilot were able to walk away,” said Sector Key West Commander Captain Jason Ingram. “We want to thank the good samaritan who reported this incident and our local and state partners who worked with our station crews to make this rescue.”
According to a Coast Guard report, the pilot of the plane reported an engine malfunction shortly after taking off and intentionally landed the plane in the water to avoid crashing in a residential area. A preliminary FAA report released on Aug. 22 confirmed the engine malfunction.
The plane was successfully removed from the water a day later at the Quay boat ramp in Marathon.
The Piper PA-28 aircraft is registered to Marathon’s Florida Keys Flight Academy, according to the FAA report.
The FWC and FAA are the investigating agencies.
