Three people walked away unharmed after a small plane crash near Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport on Monday afternoon, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said there was an increased law enforcement presence in the area of Silent Breeze Street and Wolf Road following the incident. The crash occurred in a rural field about one to two miles north of the airport, where cattle graze.
Sheriff Nienhuis confirmed in a briefing around 3:15 p.m. that all three occupants of the aircraft declined medical assistance.
“It’s really a happy ending,” Nienhuis said. “We wanted to get the information out there in case you start hearing rumors.”
The aircraft involved was a 1960s Piper Comanche, the sheriff said. Initial reports indicated the plane experienced fuel issues and a rough-running engine while en route from Talladega, Alabama, to Lakeland, Florida. Unable to reach the Brooksville airport, the pilot executed an emergency landing in the field.
While the plane sustained significant damage, all passengers escaped without injury, the sheriff reported. Federal authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), have been notified and will lead the investigation into the crash.
Residents are advised that law enforcement activity in the area is related to the crash and poses no public safety threat.
This incident comes after another plane crash in South Florida on Nov. 10 that claimed the lives of two people.
