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No injuries reported in Lake Gaston plane crash

A small plane crashed and flipped on Saturday into the waters of Lake Gaston near Littleton.

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LITTLETON, N.C. — A small plane crashed and flipped on Saturday into the waters of Lake Gaston near Littleton.

William Bennett, of Williamsburg, Virginia, was trying to land the aircraft on the water near Eaton Ferry Bridge Road, but his wheels were engaged, according to officials. When the plane hit the water, it flipped onto its roof.

"It's just an unfortunate mishap," Bennett said. "I'm not too proud of that."

Bennett told WRAL News that he was flying from Petersburg, Virginia, to visit friends on Lake Gaston. He was not injured in the crash.

"I just heard a loud noise and ran out," said Amber Daniel, who lives on Gaston Lake. "I thought it was a sailboat because it's so windy, then I realized it was a plane, so I grabbed the phone and called 911."

Officials said Bennett's was the second seaplane to crash into Lake Gaston since late April. Three people were aboard a Maule 235 single-engine aircraft, which rolled three times across the water. Nobody was injured in the crash.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are expected to examine the plane on Monday.

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