Plane pulling banner crashes into Block Island Sound
by James Swierzbin
A pilot pulling a “Will you marry me?” banner behind his single engine plane, crashed into the waters off Block Island Sound, just after 3PM on Monday.
The coast guard says that the plane and pilot started their journey here at Westerly State Airport. Then just minutes into the flight, the pilot who was flying to Block Island, called for help.
“There was a mayday call from a pilot going down, the plane was towing a banner, going to Block Island.” said U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Ross Ruddell.
The Coast Guard scrambled a rescue helicopter from Cape Cod and a 47-foot boat from Point Judith to help.
But when they got to the plane's location, in Block Island Sound, they weren't needed.
“By the time that coast guard assets were on the scene, a good Samaritan, had already pulled him out of the water.” said Ruddell.
According to a Naragansett lobsterman who heard the mayday call and Coast Guard response, the good Samaritan was a private boat called 'The Stampede'
Apparently the boat was traveling from Block Island to Newport when they answered the mayday call and scooped the pilot out of the water.
The boat then handed over the shaken pilot, who thankfully wasn't seriously injured, to a thankful Coast Guard boat crew, who took the pilot back to Naragansett.
“We're just very happy that the pilot's OK.” said Coast Guard spokesman Ross Ruddell.
The FAA and Rhode Island Airport Corporation say that they're investigating the crash.
Right now though there's no word on what caused the plane to splashdown.
