SEATTLE — A small plane crashed into Seattle's Elliott Bay on Thursday evening.
A single-engine Cessna 172 crashed around 6:45 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The 42-year-old pilot was the only person onboard and he was able to get himself out of the plane. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released Thursday night.
The plane took off from Port Townsend at 5:55 p.m. heading for Auburn. The pilot reported a loss of engine power before the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the crash.
The plane sank just a few hundred feet from the pier, near the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Many people were on the pier when the crash happened. There were reports that the plane was flying very low to the water before it crashed. One witness even said it was flying so gracefully that she thought it was part of an air show.
The NTSB is working to recover the plane's wreckage from the water and move it to an offsite facility to be analyzed.
According to the Coast Guard, it is expected to take multiple days to get the plane out of the water.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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