ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – A plane crash landed into the Catawba River near Charlie Horse Lane in Rock Hill according to The York County Sheriff’s Office.
Multiple agencies responding. According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office the plane went down in the Catawba River near Sun City Carolina Lakes. Crews were dispatched to area around 10:30 AM.
Investigators say the plane was rented. It flipped onto its top when it hit the water and came to rest in shallow water fairly close to the bank. The report shows the plane was occupied by two people, both of whom escaped the plane and made it to the bank a short distance away. Neither suffered serious injuries.
The plane landed upside down in the river, although stayed mostly above water, with only parts of the wings appearing to be submerged, as seen in photos captured by WSOC-TV’s Chopper 9 Skyzoom.
Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile says “We are very thankful there were no serious injuries in this mishap. “If conditions like location along the river or depth of the water at that spot had been different, the outcome might have been much worse. The FAA will investigate this crash, and inquiries concerning it should be directed to the FAA.”
It is currently unknown what led to the crash.
UPDATE: May 5th, 2023
According to the investigation the two people on board the plane are pilots. The two fly together often and rented the aircraft from a flying school out of Monroe, North Carolina.
The report says the plane was taking off from Monroe headed to Lancaster when the engine failed and the pilot when had to glide the plane, without power, and determined the river to be the safest place to land the aircraft.
The pilot and passenger were not injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now handling the investigation.
