https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/indian-river-county/2025/01/30/1-injured-in-fellsmere-area-plane-crash-investigation-underway/78052399007/(praying for a quick recovery. here's the initial downing, and the help for the search was incredible)
FELLSMERE — A plane with only the pilot on board crashed Thursday on rural land in Fellsmere, a police official said.
The pilot, a man who was not identified, survived the crash which occurred just east of Interstate 95 on ranch land near the 150 mile marker, according to Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry.
“The patient is being loaded up as we speak,” said Touchberry, just before noon Thursday.
Indian River County Fire Rescue official said the crash site was along the edge of a cow pasture near a tree line.
"We had several units dispatched to it because we weren’t sure of the exact location," said Deputy Fire Chief Sean Gibbons. "We got eyewitness reports of a plane that went down in that area."
Gibbons said he believed the aircraft was privately owned, although he was unsure if the pilot was the owner. Touchberry said the plane was a single engine, biplane.
The man was said to be in critical condition and the damage to the plane described as heavy or "considerable."
The plane was an Aviat Pitts S-2B, according to a statement provided by a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.
According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the the bi-wing aircraft is a classified as capable of both normal and aerobatic flight operations.
Law enforcement was first notified of a downed aircraft in the area at 10:35 a.m. and located the plane at 11:02 a.m., Touchberry said. "The call was received by ranch personnel who saw and heard the plane above their ranch," Touchberry said. "They could tell by the sounds they heard that the plane crashed (but) they didn’t actually see the crash."
He said all-wheel drive vehicles were needed to the reach the crash site.Touchberry said the family of the pilot was notified, however he directed further questions about the pilot, the aircraft or the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration which he said were investigating the matter.
