Crime & Safety
Small Plane Crash Near Bayside Bridge Injures Pilot
The small plane crashed into the water sometime around 2 a.m. just north of the bridge's hump. Clearwater Fire & Rescue assisted at the scene.
A small plane crashed into the water near the Bayside Bridge in Clearwater sometime around 2 a.m. Friday, injuring its sole occupant, authorities said.
Clearwater Fire & Rescue, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and multiple other first responders were called to the scene and found the 47-year-old pilot alert and talking, Clearwater public safety spokesperson Elizabeth Watts said.
The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Watts said.
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Watts reported Friday morning the plane has sunk below the water and is no longer visible.
The Safety Harbor Fire Department, Pinellas Park Fire, St. Pete-Clearwater Airport Fire and U.S. Coast Guard also assisted the Federal Aviation Administration at the scene.
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Sheriff's deputies and other rescue personnel are still on scene assisting the FAA with its investigation.
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