Small plane headed to SRQ crash lands into Sarasota Bay

A small airplane made an emergency landing in shallow waters in South Bradenton on Tuesday afternoon, according to Manatee County Emergency Communications Center.

The aircraft emergency was reported at 4:06 p.m. off of Bay Drive near Florida Boulevard, in Bayshore Gardens.

The 25-year-old pilot was flying alone from Sebring approaching for a landing at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, when he reported a lack of throttle control, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The pilot, not thinking he could make it the airport, decided to land the plane in Sarasota Bay.

He was wet and visibly shaken, as he stood in his T-shirt and shorts alongside the home he landed just behind, his headphones and other gear on the grass alongside his feet.

The plane is a Piper Warrior PA-28-151, a single-engine manufactured in 1973, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The aircraft is registered to Cirrus Aviation, a flight school in Sarasota.

It was was partially submerged in about 3-5 feet of water about 40 feet offshore, not far from where a boat sat on a dock behind a home in the 3000 block of Bay Road. There was no property damaged as a result.

Emergency responders confirmed that there was no fuel leakage from the aircraft into Sarasota Bay, so there were no water hazards.

That homeowner was not home at the time to witness the plane landing, but arrived about an hour later to the crowd gathered in his yard.

Manatee County deputies, including a marine unit, Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue and Manatee County Emergency Management all responded to the scene.

Sea Tow responded to the scene immediately, and the National Transportation Safety Board granted Cirrus Aviation permission to have the plane removed from the water. Sea Tow was preparing to float the plane to a nearby boat ramp so that it could be taken out of the water and placed on a trailer.

The NTSB will be investigating the crash, but did not respond to the scene.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 4:48 PM.