MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Nobody was hurt when a small plane went down Tuesday afternoon in Sarasota Bay.
Manatee County deputies say 25-year-old Bens Leche-Garcia was flying the single-engine aircraft around 4:07 p.m. from Sebring to Sarasota when he lost throttle control on approach to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Feeling he couldn't make it to the airport, investigators say he made the decision to land the plane in the water.
He landed about 40 feet offshore in water that was 3-5 feet deep.
Nobody else was aboard the aircraft.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation but has already given the plane's owner permission to remove it from the water.