 Maryland State Police have identified the victim as 56-year-old Robert Merlini of Annapolis. They say he was flying from the Tipton Airport to the airport in Easton when he crashed into the Tread Avon River. You can see here the tail of the small plane just above the surface of the water. According to state police, the plane crashed into the water just after 9.30 this morning. Merlini was the only person on board. The University Research Foundation owns the twin-engine plane, and the University of Maryland uses it for research.