Plane Crashes in St. Johns River in East Palatka

A private plane crashed Tuesday afternoon in the St. Johns River off Riverview Drive in East Palatka, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

But the single pilot suffered only minor injuries in the crash, which occurred just before 5 p.m. near Esparanza Grove Road, the Highway Patrol said.

The floatplane apparently flipped over while landing, the Highway Patrol said. A man fishing in the area pulled the pilot to safety.

This is the latest in a series of plane incidents in the Putnam County area over the past few months, including another floatplane that flipped in mid-July in a lake at Eagles Nest Lane and Georgetown Shortcut Road. Its 79-year-old pilot was able to swim to shore.

That came only days after two small planes crashed in separate incidents, one in Elkton and one in Hastings. No one was killed in either, officials said.

RELATED | Read more Jacksonville-area crime news

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