Seaplane Tips and Partially Sinks in Orchard Lake

The plane landed on Orchard Lake and remained afloat for a few minutes until a float started taking in water, according to Orchard Lake Police Chief Jeffrey Gomez. The aircraft then tipped and partially submerged near Apple Island.

Two people were aboard. People on a nearby boat came to help, and officers from Orchard Lake and West Bloomfield, along with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Marine Division, assisted in bringing them safely to shore. No injuries were reported.

Gomez said investigators are handling the event as a watercraft incident rather than a plane crash. He said the aircraft may have been making a landing in which it remained on the lake before taking off again.

County search-and-rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene, and crews began arranging to retrieve the plane. Authorities also assessed the possibility of a fuel spill, while saying there was no danger to the public.

Officials asked people to stay away from the boat launch as work continued. The aircraft is linked to Michigan Sea Plane, a flight school based in White Lake.