Pilot unharmed after small plane flips during emergency landing near Mulberry: PCSO
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
MULBERRY, Fla. - A pilot avoided injury Friday night after a small plane experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff and flipped upside down during an emergency landing near Mulberry, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
What we know:
Deputies said the crash happened shortly after 8 p.m., west of Mulberry near State Road 60 and County Line Road.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
According to investigators, the pilot was the only person on board the aircraft that had taken off from South Lakeland Airport in Mulberry.
Dig deeper:
Deputies say the pilot reported engine problems shortly after takeoff and searched for a safe place to land. The pilot ultimately landed in a grassy area not far from the airport.
After touching down, the plane overturned while slowing to a stop, flipping onto its top, PCSO said.
Deputies say the pilot was not injured in the crash.
What they're saying:
"He [the pilot] managed to see the gap between the two houses, and he was able to quickly turn the plane and I watched him. I was on the ladder and watched him and said, ‘He's going to go for the water.’ He just passed the water and hit the ground nose first and flipped," neighbor Jeronimo Laura said. "Jumped the fences to see if he's alright. I was like, ‘This guy is dead or hurt really bad.’ He ended up getting out of the plane... walking around, checking it out, and he seemed OK. And I asked him if he was alright, and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m good.’"
What we don't know:
Further details about what caused the engine trouble have not yet been released.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.