Pilot uninjured after emergency landing in Saco River

A small airplane ended upside down in about two to three feet of water Friday after the pilot experienced mechanical problems and was forced to make an emergency landing in the Saco River.

The pilot, Paul Harris, of Wolfeboro, was uninjured.

The plane, a yellow Aviat Aircraft Husky A-1A, had taken off from Laconia. The accident occurred at about 11 a.m., between Indian Acres camp and Canal Bridge in Fryeburg.

The pilot told a news photographer that he started to land the plane on a sandbar but had to go into the water instead because there were campers on the beach. The plane flipped after the wheels hit water.

Law enforcement officers from Fryeburg and Bridgton used airboats to reach the scene. The airboats carried containment equipment in the event of a fuel leak, but there was no indication that any fuel escaped into the river.

The plane was pulled from the river by law enforcement officers with help from a number of campers and canoeists.

The river remained open, and Bob Tagliaferri, of Saco Bound, said the accident didn't affect the canoe-rental business.

"We were aware of the situation through local law enforcement," Tagliaferri said. "There didn't appear to be any problem. I was happy to hear that the gentleman (pilot) was OK and that there were no other injuries."

Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident. No information was available Friday afternoon from Fryeburg Police Department or Maine State Police.