OCALA - experimental plane crashes, kills pilot

[khoelldobler]

OCALA - A small home-built airplane crashed into the Wild Frontier RV Park in northwest Ocala at about 3 p.m. Friday.

Ocala Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Brian Stoothoff said the pilot was killed in the crash. He said no one was inside either of the two RVs hit by the small fixed-wing aircraft. There was only one confirmed fatality.

The call came in at 2:56 p.m., Stoothoff said, and firefighters were on scene at 2:57 p.m.

Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Mike Thomas said he was on Magnolia Avenue when he saw a plane going east to west and then heard a pop. Then, Thomas said, he saw the wings tip several times back and forth.

Then the plane turned north and rapidly descended out of his line of sight.

Thomas got in his patrol car and called dispatch. By that time, Thomas said he saw black smoke rising quickly.

He arrived at the scene and saw Marion County sheriff's deputies and local fire officials already there.