FirstAlerts

Small Plane Crashes in Bristol Harbor; Pilot Dies, Passenger Injured

A small single-engine airplane crashed upside down in Bristol harbor on Sunday, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger, according to PenBay Pilot.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 11:46 p.m. ET
A small single-engine airplane crashed into the harbor in , Massachusetts, on Sunday, August 20, 2023, at approximately , according to PenBay Pilot. The aircraft was found upside down in about four feet of water. The pilot was killed, and a second male passenger escaped and was transported to Miles Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the outlet reported. The aircraft was removed from the water by a local marine barge and moved to a secure location. The cause of the crash has not been determined; investigators from the FAA and NTSB will determine the actual cause, PenBay Pilot reported. Weather observations recorded at New Bedford Regional Airport, about 8 miles away, around the time of the crash showed wind from 270 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, and a temperature of 79°F. These conditions are not being cited as a cause.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
171 ft
Nearest aerodrome
7.3 miles SSW of Myricks Airport (1M8)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 121 Aug 2026, 03:46current

    First published.

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