Plane Buried Deep In The Mud Proving Difficult To Salvage

A Sonex Waiex that went down in a salt marsh in northern Flagler County in Florida remained buried deep in the mud on Wednesday, as officials called in salvage experts to help extricate the aircraft and its pilot.

The plane went down Saturday near Pellicer Creek about 12 miles north-northwest of Flagler County Airport, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. The owner of the plane was Palm Coast, FL resident Raymond Miller, 77, who was thought to be aboard when it went down. He departed Saturday from Flagler County Airport to perform touch-and-goes and did not return.

The remote, swampy area offers little in the way of solid ground to help leverage the airplane out of the thick mud, according to Flagler County Emergency Manager Kevin Guthrie. Monday, a helicopter was unsuccessful in breaking the suction caused by the mud and lifting the aircraft off the ground.

A barge with an excavator was being brought to the site, according to Flagler County Undersheriff Rick Staly. The current plan is to dig the plane out of the mud and secure it in safety netting on the barge. Then, officials will "remove the body, if it is in there," Guthrie said.

(Sonex Waiex pictured in file photo. Not accident aircraft)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov