Small plane crashes in Falls Lake; boaters rescue pilot

Boaters rescued a pilot from Falls Lake on Friday afternoon after his small plane crashed into the water, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m. near where Cheek Road crosses the lake at the confluence of Durham, Granville and Wake counties.

The pilot was trying to land at a small airstrip nearby when he crashed, according to the Durham County Sheriff's Office.

Dan Benedix said he saw the open-sided plane take off and was surprised to later learn it had crashed.

"He had a perfect takeoff. Everything looked great when he left, so I don’t know what happened between here and the water," said Benedix, a pilot who keeps a plane at the private airfield near the lake. "He said he was going up to just enjoy the ride. It’s just a beautiful day to fly."

Benedix said he later saw the pilot soaking wet at the airfield.

"As far as a plane crash goes, this is about as good as it can get," he said. "He walked home. I mean, what else could you ask for from a plane crash?"

The unidentified pilot couldn't be reached for comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate to determine the cause of the crash.