Pilot Dies in Tuesday Plane Crash in Marion County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 5, 2017

On Tuesday morning a small plane flying through Marion County crashed in a field close to 150th Avenue Road in Williston. The crash, which took place on the property of 21850 NW 150th Avenue Road, was initially unreachable by emergency response teams due to trees downed along the road, blocking the route of the first responders. When, 25 minutes after the plane crashed, officers from Marion County Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway patrol were able to reach the plane they found a completely destroyed plane and a dead pilot.

While it is common knowledge that a tornado warning had been issued for the area in which the plane crashed, the Marion County Sheriff’s office has issued a statement saying that it is too early to say whether or not the storm was the direct cause of the crash or even if it contributed to the crash tangentially. Lauren Lettelier, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson, said that, although the plane did crash during the severe weather warnings, it would be remiss of them to declare inclement environmental conditions the direct cause of the crash due to the high number of other reasons as to why a pilot might find themselves losing control of their craft.

While some of the most important details, such as the name of the pilot, have been withheld from the public sphere, it is known that the plane, a VIRUS-SW, was an experimental aircraft. During the flight that ended in disaster, the pilot was in the process of transporting the plane from Sebring Regional Airport to the Oconee County Regional Airport, located in Clemson, South Carolina. This information was graciously provided by The Federal Aviation Administration.

Currently, the situation is still under investigation. Throughout Tuesday, the entire crash scene was covered by a large tent while investigators from the NTSB and the FAA combed through the wreckage, looking for clear signs as to what took place to cause the pilot to crash in such a desolate landscape, far from home, and without warning. As more details emerge they will be released to the public pending the approval of the victim’s family.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.