Florida Man Seriously Injured After Crashing Homemade Aircraft
From Tampa Free Press
Article By Jake Grissom, Original Publish Date: February 1, 2023
A 78-year-old Florida man was seriously injured after his homemade ultralight airplane crashed in woods off Maytown Road in Oak Hill.
According to deputies, the pilot had just taken off from a nearby private airport Monday around 5 p.m.
Volusia sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash site near a home in the 1400 block of Maytown Road. Parts of the homemade aircraft were found in trees 15-20 feet off the ground, while the fuselage was strewn in the woods.
Rescuers had to extricate the pilot, who was identified as Vincent Grasso of Palm Bay.
Grasso had serious injuries and was flown by Air One to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where he was last reported in stable condition.
Witnesses told deputies they heard the airplane and saw it make two large hard left bank turns, then backfire, and the engine cut off. The airplane disappeared below the tree line, and one witness said she heard a loud noise.
Homeowners arrived at the crash site and spotted the plane positioned upside down in a tree. The pilot appeared to be unconscious and was still strapped in his seat in the cabin.
After the pilot was rescued, the wreckage of the home-built “Legal Eagle” ultralight aircraft was removed from the scene.
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