Plane crashes in Lake Huron, pilot spends night in water but is rescued
July 27, 2011, 03:16 pm
On Tuesday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration informed the Coast Guard that it had received a distress call from a pilot flying a two-seat Cessna over Lake Huron. The Coast Guard lost contact with the pilot, and immediately launched rescue efforts.
Air Station Detroit launched an MH-65 Dolphin rescue chopper, a small fixed-wing airplane was called in from the Sanilac County Sheriff's Department and the Canadian Coast Guard provided a large C-130 Hercules to help in the search.
After spending a night in the water, the pilot was rescued and brought onboard a fishing boat on Wednesday morning. He was taken to a local hospital and is reportedly in good condition, even speaking as he was loaded into the ambulance.
The pilot's name hasn't been released. The plane flew out of Gouverneur, New York and was destined for Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It's not yet known how the man was able to stay afloat all night after his plane went down.
In 2010, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports that there were 1,384 total general aviation accidents, 267 of which were fatal and resulted in 453 deaths. This was down from the 1,474 accidents and 474 resulting fatalities in 2009. Pilot life insurance is important for all aviators who want to protect their families in the event of an accident.
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