GROVELAND, Fla. — A pilot was killed in a small plane crash in Groveland Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
- Pilot killed in amateur-built Aventura II plane
- Police: plane crashed upon departure from airpark
- More Lake County coverage
According to FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen in an email, an experimental, amateur-built Aventura II aircraft crashed in the area of Sorrel Way and Homestead Drive around 11:17 a.m. upon departure.
Groveland Police said the small, two-seater plane departed from the Florida Flying Gator’s Airpark on 10817 Libby Road.
“He took off from the runway ... and the report says as soon as he got airborne, he started having engine problems and went to the left side of the runway," said Dan Boggs, Air Safety Inspector with the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot, who was the only occupant, did not survive the crash.
The NTSB is investigating the crash. The plane will be taken to Jacksonville, where it will be inspected.
"(We're) going to be doing a complete systems check of the avionics and of the motor. Check out why there was a report of loss of engine power and try to figure this out," Boggs explained.
A preliminary report is expected in the next two weeks, while the final report usually takes about 18 months to complete.
Another plane crash in Central Florida happened just two days ago in the St. Cloud area, where two people in a Velocity XL-RG-5 were airlifted to an area hospital.