Fatal plane crash under investigation | Merrimack Valley

METHUEN – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash of a single-engine plane that killed the pilot Monday afternoon.

The plane crashed into the Merrimack River near the North Andover-Methuen border at about 2:15 p.m., with only the pilot on board, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The National Transportation Safety Board will now lead an investigation into the crash.

At a 5 p.m. press conference, local officials described the dive teams’ efforts to recover the plane and what the next steps would be. At the time of the official statement, the plane — identified by the FAA as Van’s RV-6A — was upside down and intact, with the pilot still inside. According to Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara, local efforts on the ground were being led by Methuen.

Authorities in North Andover were initially alerted by employees at Lawrence Municipal Airport after they lost contact with an aircraft.

The plane had taken off from Lawrence Airport, but officials were unsure how long it had been in the air.

Graham Rowe, North Andover’s deputy fire chief, said a civilian aircraft was the first to spot the crash site.

North Andover rescue crews then determined that the accident had occurred on the Methuen side of the river and contacted additional emergency crews in several towns.

Graham said boats were in the water in North Andover and Lawrence. The Methuen Fire Department also responded to the situation. Firefighters from North Andover, Lawrence and Methuen worked in the water and on the river banks after the accident was reported.

Dive teams from across the region were called in, including from Beverly. Rowe said the teams were assessing how best to handle the situation at the time of the press conference.

“The plane was in a very remote location,” Rowe said. “Access was quite difficult.”

Rowe said the banks are steep on both sides of the river.

He said the plane crashed “much further north” than the Amazon facility on Osgood Street.

According to Rowe, the water level was about 1.5 to 1.8 meters.

“The river is pretty shallow right now,” he said.

Rowe added that officials had also contacted a nearby dam to ensure water levels were stable so the plane would not shift.

Authorities believe there was no bad weather at the time of the crash.

A first responder command post has been set up on Riverview Street in North Andover.

McNamara said local authorities would continue to work on recovery efforts while the accident investigation was being conducted by others.

“At this time, the facts and circumstances leading up to this crash are being fully investigated by both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board,” McNamara said. “They will be investigating what caused this crash.”

Jill Harmacinski and Caitlin Dee contributed to this article