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Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom SKIMMING THE SURFACE -- Pilots had the opportunity to test their skills during the weekend’s International Seaplane Fly-In in Greenville, such as with their ability to precisely land their craft inside a string of buoys.
Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom SKIMMING THE SURFACE -- Pilots had the opportunity to test their skills during the weekend’s International Seaplane Fly-In in Greenville, such as with their ability to precisely land their craft inside a string of buoys.

Pilot escapes seaplane after crashing in Moosehead Lake

Staff, Piscataquis Observer •September 7, 2025

By Wendy Watkins, Bangor Daily News Staff

A seaplane crashed about 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 on Moosehead Lake near Beaver Cove during Greenville’s annual International Seaplane Fly-In, according to Debra Hamlin, director of Piscataquis County Emergency Management.

Pilot Barry Holtz, 76, of Fairport, New York. was attempting to land his Grumman G-44A Widgeon, a five-person amphibious aircraft, on the lake when he crashed, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety.

Holtz, who was the only person on board, escaped through a rear door after the main doors would not open, according to Moss. A boater on the lake pulled the pilot from the water, Hamlin said.

He was transported to the Northern Light CA Dean Hospital for facial injuries, Moss said. 

First responders attempted to recover the sunken aircraft, but the water was too deep. Moss said the recovery will take place at a later time.

The Maine Warden Service, local fire and rescue, Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the crash, according to Moss.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

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