A brand-spanking-new Mooney seems to have gotten in a fight with a boat in Central Florida. It’s not exactly clear who won, although the irony may have been lost on the pilot, who walked away from the crash and began filming the ensuing inferno.
Flight tracking website Flightaware shows the plane was on a quick flight from Stuart, FL to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Investigators believe the pilot was on his way to Sun ‘n Fun, the annual air show that kicks off this week and draws hundreds of private aircraft to the sunshine state for “pilot’s spring break.”
Aircraft registration information shows the Mooney M20TN was built earlier this year and is registered with the manufacturer, so there’s a good chance it was either just purchased or still owned by the dealer.
Lakeland Fire Department crews responded to the plane crash at Pipkin Creek and Village Road in Polk County, just short of runway 27 at the airport.
There were no reports of injuries on the ground and the pilot was the only person on board, according to Lakeland Fire Department. The Sheriff’s Office said the pilot was alert and walking, eventually transported to the hospital with minor injuries, but not before he decided to capture the plane-on-boat violence:
Photo: Polk County Sherrif