 New this evening, the pilot of a small plane has died after crashing into the water in Easton, Maryland. That person has been identified as 56-year-old Robert Merlini of Annapolis. He was the only person on board the twin-engine Cessna when it went down. He reported an engine failure before the crash. It took off from Tipton Airport at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County around 9 this morning.