CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crew towed a sea plane into port after a mechanical failure on the plane forced the pilot to make an emergency landing one mile off the coast of Cape Canaveral, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Authorities first learned about a possible plane crash at 1 p.m. Thursday from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Coast Guard said a boat crew then went aboard a 25-foot boat to respond.
"When we got the initial report it sounded like a plane crash and people in the water," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Matella. "When you respond to something like this there's a lot of information coming in and at some point you kind of have to do what you're trained to do. It was one of those 'plan for the worst, hope for the best' kind of situations."
When the boat crew arrived at the scene they discovered the plane hadn't crashed, but landed safely. Authorities said there were no injuries reported from the pilot and no damage to the plane from the landing.
The boat crew took the plane in tow and brought it safely into Blue Point Marina, where the pilot will make arrangements for repairs, the U.S. Coast Guard said.