The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a small water-landing plane crashed into Littlefield Lake in Isabella County Saturday afternoon.
Two Isabella County deputies saw the plane attempt to take off from the lake around 1:20 p.m. When the aircraft became airborne, it appeared to struggle to gain altitude. Police said at the time of the crash, there were strong wind gusts, which may have interfered with the take off.
The deputies saw the plane start to turn, then it hit a tree. The plane then nosedived into the water.
A bystander captured this video of the crash:
Police responded immediately, and as they approached the plane, they saw bystanders from another vessel in the area helping two men out of the cockpit.
The plane was being flown by Tyrone Finch, a 53-year-old man from Tennessee, and it had one passenger, Patrick Jarman, a 62-year-old Deerfield Township man.
Finch and Jarman were transported to shore by a nearby pontoon boat. The pilot, Finch, was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Jarman was flown by AeroMed to Grand Rapids in serious condition.
The plane was upside down in the water for several hours. Law enforcement personnel and residents who live on the lake secured air tubes under the wings of the plane to keep it from sinking. Once the flotation devices were attached, deputies used ropes tied to jet skis to slowly pull the plane to a dock area.
The plane was loaded onto a flatbed and was moved to an impound yard.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.
