STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
NEWS RELEASE
AIRPLANE CRASH
CASE#: 26A5004061
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Trooper Richard Berlandy
STATION: Derby
CONTACT#: 802-334-8881
DATE/TIME: 07/20/2026 @ 0808 hours
TOWN: Morgan
LANDMARK: Lake Seymour
WEATHER: Clear
VEHICLE #1
OPERATOR: James Gregory
AGE: 66
SEAT BELT? Y
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: East Burke, VT
VEHICLE YEAR: 2002
VEHICLE MAKE: Rans
VEHICLE MODEL: S6 Coyote II
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Totaled
INJURIES: None
SUMMARY OF CRASH:
At about 8:08 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2026, the Vermont State Police received a report that an airplane had crashed on Seymour Lake in Morgan, VT. Troopers responded to the area along with members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Motor Vehicles, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Derby Line Fire Department, and Newport Ambulance Services.
Members of the Derby Line Fire Department and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department deployed boats, while members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and DMV attempted to locate the plane from the shore.
Shortly after, the pilot, identified as 66-year-old James Gregory of East Burke, called the Vermont State Police and advised that local residents had responded to the crash in their personal boats, rescued him from the water, and brought him to their home. Gregory advised while taking off from Lake Seymour, a malfunction occurred causing the plane to stall and crash after becoming airborne. Gregory was the sole occupant of the airplane and was not injured. Investigation revealed the airplane, a 2002 Rans S6 Coyote II, sank into Lake Seymour. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation was notified of the incident.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation and will be taken over by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Further questions should be directed to the FAA.
