One person is dead after a small plane crashed into a river in Talbot County, Maryland, shortly before 9:40 a.m. Tuesday, Maryland state police said.
The man who died was the pilot of a twin-engine Cessna that took off shortly before 9 a.m. from Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, Maryland, authorities said. No one else was aboard.
Police believe he was heading to Easton Airport before the plane crashed into the Tred Avon River close to Travelers Rest Circle, southwest of Easton.
The victim's name hasn't been released yet because his family hadn't been notified, police said.
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The plane was owned by the University Research Foundation, which was established by the University of Maryland. Their flights were used to conduct research.
People who saw the crash called 911.
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Dispatch audio from Talbot County reported: "Tail’s still sticking out of the water. There are three boats around. Not sure if they have any contact with anybody."
Images captured by Chopper4 show the aftermath of the crash in the Tred Avon River, with dive teams investigating the wreckage and a police helicopter in the air.
Divers pulled the victim's body from the water.
It's still unclear what caused the plane to crash.
Data from FlightAware showed the plane's path before it went down. Graphics show the plane was heading toward Easton from Fort Meade, but after a few loops, it suddenly dropped in altitude before crashing.
The plane is owned by the University Research Foundation, which was established by the University of Maryland.
The plane would be used to conduct scientific research, but authorities say the pilot wasn't on a research mission Tuesday but was just transporting the plane to the Easton Airport.
"This aircraft is used for very important scientific work to determine when we’re having heat waves like this to ascertain all the data and all the factors that go into it and make decisions about public policy and public health," said David Abrams, director of communications for the Maryland Department of the Environment. "So our thoughts and prayers go out to the pilot, to the University of Maryland community who is very affected by this, and this is really important work that they’re doing."
Multiple agencies responded to the crash, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Talbot County first responders and divers from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Crime scene technicians from Maryland state police were processing the scene for evidence.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have also been notified and will investigate the cause of the crash.
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