MORGAN — A small plane crashed into Lake Seymour on Monday morning after a malfunction during takeoff, but the pilot was rescued uninjured by nearby residents in their boats, Vermont State Police said.
James Gregory, 66, of East Burke was the sole occupant of a 2002 Rans S6 Coyote II. He told police the aircraft malfunctioned after becoming airborne while taking off from the lake, causing it to stall and crash into the water at about 8:08 a.m.
Local residents responded in personal boats, pulled Gregory from the water and brought him to their home, police said. Gregory then contacted state police to report the crash.
Troopers responded along with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the Derby Line Fire Department and Newport Ambulance Service.
Members of the Derby Line Fire Department and Fish and Wildlife deployed boats while sheriff’s deputies and DMV personnel searched from shore.
The aircraft sank into the lake. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation was notified.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
