NTSB: Engine Failure May Have Caused Ocean City, Maryland Plane Crash
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- The cause of a small plane crash in Ocean City, Maryland could be to due to engine failure, according to National Transportation Safety Board.
According to NTSB, the pilot told them he lost engine power before he was forced to crash-land the plane into water along the beach.
After an initial exam, NTSB saw signs of mechanical failure in the engine.
Maryland State Police responded and was able to tow the plane to a facility in Berlin, Maryland.
Witnesses captured the moment this single-engine Cessna plane glided onto the waterfront.
People looked on as the plane made its way into shallow water right off of 21st street.
"That plane kind of boogie boarded right up to shore real quick," one witness said.
A crash-landing--- the pilot, 23-year-old Trevor Deihl escaped without injury.
"He seemed like he was watching to make sure he came close enough to the beach but was also wanting to make sure that no one was in the water," a witness said.
Ocean City officials say it appears Dreihl did everything right.
"The pilot did a fantastic job landing the aircraft. There was no one hurt. There does seem to be several pieces of aircraft that were recovered. So, there doesn't seem to be any kind of environmental issue," Jessica Waters, an Ocean City spokeswoman said.
It took several tries to remove the plane from the water.
Maryland State Police was able to tow it to shore and got a round of applause and cheers from the crowd.
The investigation continues into the crash. NTSB will release a full report once its exam is complete.