Lifeguards rescue pilot after plane towing banner crashes at crowded beach, officials say
A pilot flying a small, single-engine plane towing a banner is alive after crashing into the ocean — 30 yards offshore at a crowded New Hampshire beach, officials said.
Video of the crash shows the moment the plane’s wheels hit the water, sending the aircraft spiraling forward and flipping upside down, followed by a big splash at Hampton Beach the afternoon of July 29, according to a clip shared to Twitter.
The pilot was rescued from the water by lifeguards who rushed in to save him, according to a July 29 news release by Hampton Fire/Rescue. Officials said the department began receiving several calls about the crash around noon that day.
Before the lifeguards helped the pilot ashore, he climbed out of the aircraft himself, CBS News Boston reported.
Afterward, the lifeguards pulled the plane out of the water as those on the beach can be heard cheering and clapping, according to video footage shared by the outlet.
The pilot was the only person aboard the Piper PA-18 plane during the “banner tow operation,” the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to McClatchy News on July 30.
He was evaluated at the beach by an ambulance crew and wasn’t transported for further medical assistance, according to fire officials.
Now the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, the FAA said.
Hampton Beach is about 45 miles northeast of Boston.
This story was originally published July 30, 2023 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Lifeguards rescue pilot after plane towing banner crashes at crowded beach, officials say."
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