A small plane piloted by James Edwards managed to safely land in the choppy waters of Long Island Sound off Connecticut before it sank. The incident occurred Sunday when the aircraft, a single-engine Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six, took off from Sikorsky Memorial Airport around 10:14 a.m. and went down approximately 12 minutes later.
About 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot declared an emergency to air traffic controllers, who suggested landing at Tweed-New Haven Airport. However, contact with the plane was lost shortly thereafter. When the aircraft crashed into the water, the pilot called 911, providing his coordinates before it fully submerged.
The Coast Guard responded swiftly, rescuing two individuals wearing lifejackets from the water just before 11 a.m. Both survivors were treated for minor injuries and hypothermia symptoms and transported to a local hospital. Branford Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney commended both the Coast Guard’s prompt response and the pilot’s landing skills, noting that there could have been much worse outcomes.
At the time of the crash, water temperatures were around 60 degrees, and sea conditions had waves between 3 to 6 feet. The plane is owned by a Newtown, Connecticut-based limited liability company, and authorities are awaiting the retrieval of the aircraft to assess damage and determine if a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation is necessary. The crash took place near Outer Island, part of a small archipelago off Connecticut’s coast.
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