The pilot of a small aircraft died after the plane crashed into the water off of Bristol on Thursday, Aug. 20.
John Hall, 54, of Lee, N.H., died after the single-engine airplane he was flying crashed near Fort William Henry the afternoon of Aug. 20,according to a Friday, Aug. 21 press release from Rand Maker, chief deputy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Hall’s son, 21-year-old Tyler Hall, was the only passenger in the plane and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to the press release.
The Lincoln County Communications Center received reports of a small plane crash near the fort around 1 p.m. on Aug. 20, according to an initial press release from the LCSO the day of the crash.
Bristol Fire and Rescue, Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service, and LCSO were dispatched to the scene, where a small, single-engine airplane was found lying upside down in about 4 feet of water, according to the press release. A building crew and nearby residents who witnessed the crash rushed into the water to assist.
Both pilot and passenger were pulled from the plane, according to the press release. John Hall died at the scene and Tyler Hall was transported to MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta by CLC Ambulance.
The initial investigation indicates the plane departed from Brunswick Executive Airport and was headed to Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head when it possibly experienced some type of mechanical failure, according to the Aug. 20 press release.
The official cause of the crash has not been identified and the LCSO continues to assist and support the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration with their investigation, Maker said in the Aug. 21 press release. The Maine Medical Examiner’s Office will determine John Hall’s official cause of death.
Maine Marine Patrol, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Ocean’s Edge Marine Construction, and Hanley Construction all assisted either at the scene or with the removal and storage of the plane, Maker said in the Aug. 21 press release. He expressed gratitude for all agencies that responded, as well as the residents who assisted getting the pilot and passenger safely to shore in the immediate moments after the crash.
