Three people, including the pilot, escaped uninjured from a plane crash on Lake Gaston this afternoon.
The right pontoon on the single-engine Maule plane collapsed, said Paul Heaton, who was piloting the aircraft. “It was actually a very smooth landing. I'm thankful everyone got out.”
Trooper Scott Richardson of the state Highway Patrol said the plane was coming in for a water landing when it flipped and landed on its roof. “Nobody was hurt and everyone got out safely.”
Law enforcement, fire and emergency services set up at a private subdivision with water access off Jack Brown Road in the Thelma area.
Richardson said the Federal Aviation Administration was contacted and the state Wildlife Resources Commission enforcement division and Halifax County Sheriff's Office assisted