A Maine Warden Service airplane that broke through the ice on Eagle Lake was retrieved with assistance from a Maine Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.
Warden service Chief Pilot Jeff Beach said in a statement Friday that it appeared the Cessna 185 equipped with skis had no structural damage. The engine and avionics are being dried and will be assessed for possible damage in the coming weeks.
The plane went into the lake – only its wings and tail were above the ice – Wednesday morning after wardens pilot Jeff Spencer had returned from a bear telemetry flight. Strong winds had forced him to alter his normal landing pattern and he was taxiing across the lake toward the plane base when he hit the thin patch and the plane broke through. Spencer was able to escape.
Test holes had been drilled in the ice Monday and it had been deemed safe, and Spencer had made several successful take-offs and landings.
Eagle Lake is about 10 miles south of Fort Kent.
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