Canoe

Pilot dies as plane crashes into home

WAVELAND, Miss. (AP) -- A fish-spotting plane for a seafood company crashed into a house Friday, killing the pilot, authorities said.

There were no injuries on the ground when the plane crashed into the home of Bill Myers, 54, in Waveland as he was brushing his teeth.

Rhett Newton Moore, 53, died in the crash, said Barney White, vice president of Omega Protein.

"All I heard was an explosion and the house shook," Myers told The Associated Press by phone. "I thought initially that lightning had struck. I went outside ... and at that point I noticed a plane was sticking out of my house."

One wing landed in the street and another was stuck in a tree behind the house, Myers said. The body of the plane was wedged between the dining room and kitchen.

The cause of the crash was not known. Waveland is on the Gulf Coast about 20 miles southwest of Gulfport.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotomail.com), June 15, 2001