DANFORTH, Maine — A Houlton man escaped serious injury last Tuesday evening after the plane he was piloting went down in Brackett Lake.
Gregg Lizotte, 58, was flying north from Princeton to Houlton in a 1965 Cesna 172 plane at 4:34 p.m., when he reportedly experienced engine issues, which caused him to lose power, according to Sgt. Josh Haines of the Maine State Police.
Lizotte had to make an emergency landing, which police originally believed took place in East Grand Lake off the Little Cove Road. Trooper Nick Casavant responded along with several members of the Maine Warden Service.
The downed plane was ultimately located in Brackett Lake off Moody Lane.
During their investigation, police discovered that Lizotte had flown to Princeton with fellow pilot Terry Beals, 64, also of Houlton, to pick up a second plane and return to Houlton. Lizotte was on his return trip to Houlton, flying solo, when he was forced to put the plane down in Brackett Lake.
Lizotte suffered minor injuries and was able to swim to shore.
The plane is owned by Carol Warren of New Hampshire. The Federal Aviation Administration as well as the National Traffic Safety Board and Maine Department of Environmental Protection are all working jointly to investigate the crash and remove the submerged plane.
