Authorities say a small plane crashed into a lake near a small airport in Sussex County Monday morning.

Officials say that the pilot was the sole occupant of the plane, and that he freed himself from the wreckage and swam away before a police rowboat plucked him from the water.

The single-engine plane went down shortly before noon near the Aeroflex-Andover Airport. It ended up in Lake Aeroflex in Newton, which is the state's deepest natural lake.

Authorities say the pilot was taking off from the airport when the crash occurred. He was taken to a hospital, but his name and further details on his injuries were not disclosed.

The airport is in Kittatinny Valley State Park and is owned by the state's Forest Fire Service.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.