Man crawls to safety after he crashes plane in Myakka City, cops say

A 44-year-old man was injured in a plane crash Thursday afternoon near Myakka City, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The man flew his plane from Lutz and spent the day performing tests on concrete pilings with an excavator on a construction site off of Taylor Road in Myakka City.

After his work was done for the day, the man began his takeoff run from the corner of a large pasture, flying back toward the direction of the pilings, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

However, the plane did not achieve proper altitude, and its wings began wobbling up and down. The plane cleared a barbwire fence at the edge of the pasture, but the right wing was then clipped on one of the concrete pilings. The plane cartwheeled, landing about 50 feet southeast of the piling.

The crash occurred at 1:56 p.m.

The man sustained multiple leg fractures but was able to crawl out of the plane. Co-workers then moved him to a safe area until help arrived.

Deputies and EMS crews were on scene by 2:23 p.m., and the man was then transported by Bayflight helicopter.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been informed of the crash, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 2:49 PM.