Incident occurred June 14, 2014 in Lake Ashby, New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida

Couple not hurt after plane flips in Lake Ashby

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — A Spruce Creek Fly-In couple were not injured after the seaplane they were in flipped over Saturday morning in Lake Ashby.

Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Lake Ashby boat ramp shortly before 8:30 a.m. after a call came in about a small plane down in the lake. The plane, a fixed-wing, single-engine 1977 Cessna 185F equipped with amphibious floats, was piloted by David Baldwin, 57, said Gary Davidson, a Volusia County Sheriff’s spokesman. His wife Diana, 56, was the only passenger. The couple had taken off from Spruce Creek Fly-In, he said.

“They were attempting to land on the lake, but didn’t realize that the landing gear wasn’t fully recessed,” Davidson said in an email. “This caused the plane to nosedive into the water and then flip upside down and submerge in the lake, with only the amphibious floats visible above the water line.”

The couple were able to exit the plane and were picked up by a passing boater, who brought them to shore, Davidson said.

An effort to recover the plane failed Saturday and it will remain in the water overnight. Another recovery effort will be attempted Sunday, Davidson said.

Once the plane is brought to shore, it will be secured and kept on site for Federal Aviation Administration officials, who are scheduled to arrive Monday to begin their investigation into the cause of the incident, Davidson said.

Source:   http://www.news-journalonline.com

A seaplane that was attempting to land in Lake Ashby flipped over around 8:26 a.m. Saturday, according to Volusia County Fire Rescue officials.

The accident happened near Boy Scout Camp Road and Lake Ashby Road, in New Smyrna Beach.

Officials called it a "hard landing," not a crash.

The pilot, who was the only person on board, escaped without injuries, officials said.

The plane was upside down in the lake as of 9 a.m., officials said.

Source:    http://mynews13.com