South Cooking Lake plane crash leaves pilot uninjured
A 76-year-old pilot escaped without injury when a float plane flipped and crashed in a lake southeast of Sherwood Park.
Emergency crews were called to South Cooking Lake shortly after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said the pilot had planned to fly to Smoky Lake — a 125-kilometre trip. But shortly after take-off, the wing of the Cessna 180 float plane came into contact with the water, causing the aircraft to flip over.
"Witnesses observed the plane swing, and clip the water as it was taking off," said Const. Chantelle Kelly.
"[The plane] but the 76-year old pilot was able to safely remove himself from the plane.
"At this point we believe was able to crawl out the window and swim up."
The crash occurred more than two kilometre from shore and Kelly says, after crawling out of the upturned cockpit the pilot had to be rescued by boat.
The Transportation Safety Board has been consulted and will not be attending the scene, RCMP said
