Plane Removed From River

The private single-engine Beechcraft plane that went down Thursday afternoon in the Quinnipiac River was lifted from the water on Friday morning. 

New Haven Assistant Fire Chief Justin McCarthy was on the scene during much of the procedure to remove and secure the plane. He described a complicated operation that involved personnel from the fire department, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Coast Guard, the Connecticut Airport Authority, and other local, state, and federal organizations. The agencies worked with a local contractor to float the plane and secure it to a dock at the Quinnipiac River Marina overnight. (Click here to read a previous article about the incident, in which a couple headed for Massachusetts encountered engine trouble, leading to the emergency landing in the Q River.)

On Friday morning, the plane was lifted from the water, an exercise that also involved state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection because of potential environmental hazards; and the FAA, which will be in charge of an investigation into the incident. The plane has an estimated 55 gallons of fuel; officials were concerned about potential harm to the Q River’s oyster beds.

The plane was slowly lifted out of the river over period of several hours.

A crane carried the plane to a flatbed truck.

While the plane remains at this preliminary stopping point, all the fluids will be removed, and the FAA and insurance companies will do an initial inspection. The wings will be removed, and the plane will be transported to another location for a more thorough investigation.

When asked about the fire department’s ongoing planning for disasters and unexpected emergencies, Assistant Fire Chief McCarthy said, ​“We do a lot of disaster planning. We’re kind of used to cars, trucks, and even boats —planes in the water, this is not as common.”