Maryland man survives emergency landing in seaplane, ends up in cornfield

Thursday evening news update (8/24/2023)

BALTIMORE -- A Leonardtown man and a pilot from Florida survived an unexpected emergency landing after their seaplane stalled in the air on Thursday, according to the Maryland State Police.

Charles O'Brien IV, 335, of Leonardtown, Md., and Anthony Copozzi, 63, of Venice, Florida, were traveling in a Cessna 185 equipped with pontoons when they had to make an emergency landing in St. Mary's County shortly after 5:30 p.m., state troopers said.

First responders found the plane resting on its roof in a cornfield off of Bayside Road and near Montpelier Road in Clements, Maryland, according to authorities.

No one on the ground was injured, state troopers said.

Federal Aviation Administration officials and National Transportation Safety Board officials have been apprised of the emergency landing, according to authorities.

Deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash site along with a Charles County HAZMAT crew, state troopers said.

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