TAMPA, Fla. — A pilot and passenger survived a small plane crash Monday in the water near Davis Islands in Tampa.
The aircraft went down around 10:10 a.m. in the Seaplane Basin as it attempted to land at Peter O. Knight Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Video from Sky10 showed the yellow plane under the water.
The two people aboard were picked up by a seaplane that was landing in the area. Emergency crews staged at the Davis Islands Boat Ramp. Tampa police said crews would be removing the aircraft during the day Monday, a process that is expected to take several hours. Rescuers say that process includes using floatation devices to bring the plane out of the water and tow it to shore.
The pilot left Lakeland Linder International Airport destined for Gainesville Regional Airport and was forced to divert to the Tampa area because of an engine issue, the FAA said.
The FAA will oversee the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
The situation did not disrupt operations at Peter O. Knight Airport. Planes continued to take off throughout the morning.
In the past month, this is at least the fourth instance of a small plane crashing or making an emergency landing across the Tampa Bay area. A pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on a grassy median on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Tampa on Nov. 4.
Another pilot made an emergency landing on Sarasota Bay on Nov. 9. And this past Friday night, a pilot was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after a small plane went down into Tampa Bay.
All involved were reportedly uninjured.