At about 8:08 a.m. on July 20, 2026, Vermont State Police received a report of an airplane crash on Seymour Lake in Morgan. Responding agencies included the Orleans County Sheriff's Department, Department of Motor Vehicles, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Derby Line Fire Department, and Newport Ambulance Services.
First responders launched boats from the fire department and fish and wildlife, while sheriff's deputies and DMV personnel searched from the shore. Before they could reach the crash site, local residents in personal boats had already rescued the pilot, 66-year-old James Gregory of East Burke, and brought him to their home. Gregory then called police to report he was safe.
Gregory told investigators that while taking off from Lake Seymour, a malfunction caused the plane to stall and crash after it became airborne. He was the sole occupant and was not injured. The aircraft, a 2002 Rans S6 Coyote II, sank into the lake. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation was notified.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and will be handled by the Federal Aviation Administration. Further inquiries should be directed to the FAA.
Photo: Jessamyn (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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