Pilot dead, brother injured after small plane crash in Hanson

HANSON, Mass. — A plane crashed near Cranland Airport in Hanson, Massachusetts on Friday.

A small plane crashed into a body of water on the south side of Cranland Airport at 4 p.m. Friday. Hanson Police say two people were on board the plane and have been removed from the water.

Sky25 saw one Medflight chopper leave the scene with one patient. A second was on the ground for the second person.

Both suffered serious injuries and were taken to Tufts Medical Center and Mass General Hospital.

The pilot, Scott Landis, died on Saturday morning as a result of his injuries, while his brother, Patrick Landis, remained in critical condition.

"It was just heartbreaking, and just, words cannot provide me," Matthew Dyer of the Hanson Board of Selectmen said.

Dyer said the loss of the well-known solider and pilot hit the entire region, as Landis often landed one of the Army's Blackhawks at community events.

"Let the kids crawl in, check out the equipment just to give them some inspiration for the future and provide a good role model for the community,” Dyer said.

Don Conway, the uncle of the two men in the plane said the two men are brothers who had just spread their father's ashes from the air.

Conway said Landis is experienced and served in the Army, and was on leave for his father's funeral. He said it was likely a mechanical issue that caused the crash.

“From what I understand they were coming back from doing that, and I guess witnesses say they heard sputtering," Conway said. "But Scotty is a vey established pilot, so it couldn’t have been pilot error because he’s meticulous when he flies.”

Conway reiterated his nephew's experience as a pilot, saying he's "been flying out of here since ehe got his license."

"He and a couple of friends just got a place and stored it here," Conway said.

Massachusetts State Police, the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team and Duxbury Fire Department responded.

“It was heavy thick brush that we were working with," Hanson Deputy Fire Chief Robert O'Brien said. "Mud conditions along with aviation fluid in the water.”

The Federal Aviation Administration tells Boston 25 News that it is investigating along with the National Transportation Safety Board:

"An Aeronca 7AC Champion aircraft with two people on board crashed into a pond near Cranland Airport in Hanson, MA, about 4:15 p.m. today. Check with local authorities for the names and conditions of the people on board. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will determine the probable cause of the accident."

Patrick Landis is currently being treated for his injuries at Tufts Medical Center.

The plane was pulled from the mud late Friday night.

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