NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) – Four members of a Rotary Club flying fellowship were killed Monday when a small airplane crashed in Long Island Sound on the way from Maine to Groton-New London Airport, officials said.
The single-engine Cessna 182 was one of 22 planes participating in the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians’ annual “fly-about,” club member Phil Yoder said.
The planes, carrying about 70 people, left Chicago last week and were on a flying tour, he said.
“We spent two nights in Niagara Falls, two nights in Portland and we were supposed to spend three nights here at Mystic,” Yoder said.
The crash happened just before 2 p.m. a half mile from Pine Island off Avery Point, state Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Cooper said.
The cause of the crash had not been determined Monday, but Coast guard officials said there was heavy fog in the area at the time the plane went down. A recreational boater told Coast Guard officials that he heard an engine cut out, followed by a loud bang.
The bodies were recovered about 20 minutes after the crash and taken to the Coast Guard station in New London, said Coast Guard Capt. Peter Boynton. The Coast Guard was working with state police to notify the victims’ families, he said.
The plane was owned by Herbert K. Rollins III of Phoenix, the FAA said.
“He’s been a pilot for a very long time,” said Luncina Pyne, governor-elect of Rotary District 5510 in northeast Arizona. “This is someone who is extremely skilled, not someone who just got their pilot’s license.”
Rollins, a retired dentist who goes by the nickname “Chip,” typically flies with his wife, Patricia, who is secretary of the club and also is a pilot, Pyne said.
“I don’t know that’s the case here, but I’m guessing they would have been together,” Pyne said.
There was no answer at the Rollins’ home.
The plane took off from the Portland International Jetport at 10:56 a.m., said Gregory Hughes, airport spokesman. It was supposed to have arrived in Groton at about 12:32 p.m., he said.
The airplane was built in 1980 and held a valid FAA certification, according to agency records.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.