Update: FAA Weighs In On Plane That Crashed In LI Sound Off Branford

BRANFORD, CT — In an update Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration noted in a report that the Piper PA-32 aircraft that crashed and sank off the Branford coast Sunday with two on board "experienced engine issues and ditched in the Long Island Sound."

Original story:

Working with U.S. Coast Guard Station New Haven, the Branford Fire Department, and in particular the Stony Creek volunteer squad, affected the downed-plane rescue of two people Sunday from the frigid waters of the Long Island Sound.

"The station launched within minutes and arrived on-scene at 10:57 a.m., recovering both individuals in life jackets, who had minor injuries and cold water exposure," Station New Haven noted. "The survivors were transferred to local EMS at Stony Creek pier and taken to Yale New Haven Hospital."

News reports and Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound confirmed the two rescued were a 41-year-old and a 17-year-old.

It was a 911 call that led Branford's bravest to the coast for a plan that had crashed into the Sound around six miles off the Branford coastline, Fire Chief Tom Mahoney told Patch.

But even before the 911 call came in to Branford public safety dispatch, Tweed New Haven Airport had been notified that a small aircraft was in trouble and was directed to make an emergency landing at the small airport located in both New Haven and East Haven.

"At approximately 10:24 AM local time, the pilot of aircraft N2242Z, a Piper PA-32 with two souls on board, declared an emergency while in communication with New York Air Traffic Control," Tweed's advisory read. "The aircraft, en route from Bridgeport (BDR) to an unspecified destination, was approximately eight miles from Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) when it was redirected to HVN for an emergency landing."

And while the Tweed tower "immediately activated its emergency response protocols and notified relevant authorities," soon after, the plane was "reported down in Long Island Sound off the coast of Branford."

As of Monday afternoon, the crash was not yet under investigation, federal aviation officials told Patch.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick told Patch in a reply email that an assessment has yet to be made.

"We are currently waiting on the plane to be recovered and assessed for damage before we make a determination on an investigation," she said.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was also called in. DEEP spokesperson Will Healey said, "DEEP’s role is to assess any environmental impact once the plane is raised."

At press time, it was unclear who was raising the craft from the Sound.

Branford pressed into service

With its myriad rivers, harbors and beachfronts, Branford has some 10 marinas and 22 miles of coastline including the Thimble Islands archipelago.

As aviation officials and the Coast Guard had been notified of the plane crashing into the sea emergency moments after the lane went down at around 10:24 a.m., Sunday, Branford firefighters learned of the crash from a 911 call, made by the plane's pilot, a call that was routed to Branford dispatchers.

Mahoney said that once his department received the location coordinates for the downed plane, several miles off the coast in 57-degree choppy waters under a darkly overcast sky, "The on the water response was phenomenal."

Of the town's two fire boats, one BFD HQ piloted by professional firefighters, and the all-volunteer Stony Creek Marine 5, Mahony said they did a "phenomenal job."

"Once we had good information on the location, Stony Creek arrived just short of the Coast Guard," he said, noting it was not the best day on the water with four to six-foot choppy waves.

Mahoney said the plane floated for a small amount of time and that the pilot and other passenger who were in the water, albeit for not too long. He added that at 57-degrees, the water was still cold enough to produce hypothermia.

"The Coast Guard did a great job," he said, adding that his first responders also did a "phenomenal job."

From its Facebook post Sunday, the fire department wrote:

"At 10:29 a.m. this morning, Branford 911 received a report of a marine incident on Long Island Sound involving a boat in distress. While responding, crews were updated that the incident was, in fact, a plane crash, with two individuals reported in the water. Marine 2 and Marine 5 were dispatched, along with the United States Coast Guard and local mutual aid partners (Guilford, East Haven, New Haven, and West Haven).

The Coast Guard was the first to arrive on the scene and successfully rescued two individuals from the water. By the time rescue crews arrived at the site, the aircraft had fully submerged. The Coast Guard began transporting the patients toward Stony Creek, where they were transferred to Branford Marine 5. Crews from Marine 5 and Marine 2 provided initial patient care. The individuals were treated for minor injuries and symptoms of hypothermia, then transported for further evaluation by Branford Medic 3.

The aircraft involved was reported to be a small plane with two people on board. The crash occurred southeast of Outer Island, near the Branford/Guilford line."

Making an investment in saving lives

Mahoney said that the town has invested a lot over the last several years to increase the department's marine operations, Mahoney said. He noted that the town is committed to staffing and training for water emergencies. He also noted that the Stony Creek volunteer squad is a model for this tryp of training and rescue.

"Handling water emergencies are a learned skill," he said, pointing to Stony Creek where crew "have grown up on the water." It's that skill, experience, and ultimately training that will be shared with professional firefighters."

Despite a "fantastic outcome," Mahoney said, "We always look at ways to do better."

"We'll take a look at our response with an internal review in how we coordinated with other agencies," he said.

If its Facebook post is any indication, thousands have hailed the department of its work Sunday.