80-Year-Old Pilot Killed When Plane Crashed Into A Dock

The pilot of a Czech Aircraft Works Mermaid amphibian was killed Thursday when the aircraft impacted a dock on the St. Clair River in St. Clair County, Michigan. His name is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

File Photo

St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon told the Port Huron, MI Times Herald that witnesses said the airplane was flying south over the river when it suddenly banked hard and hit the dock behind one of the riverfront homes.

One nearby neighbor was on the back deck of her home when she saw the plane approaching the dock. Thinking it was going to crash into her home, she said she shouted for her husband to get down on the ground. She said she saw the plane impact the dock.

The owner of the dock said he heard the airplane approaching and then the sound of the impact. He said the plane hit the dock at about a 45 degree angle. He and some neighbors rushed to the plane, but the pilot was unresponsive and had no pulse.

While the docks extend well out into the water, the Mermaid hit the structure near the shore. Divers placed containment booms around the airplane, which was partially in the water, to contain any fuel that might leak out of the wreckage.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov