Unregistered ultralight force landed and flipped over in a field, the 1 person on board was fatally injured, near Palmetto, Florida

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: UNREG        Make/Model: ULTR      Description: UNREGISTERED ULTRALIGHT
  Date: 12/31/2012     Time: 2200

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: PALMETTO   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  UNREGISTERED ULTRALIGHT FORCE LANDED AND FLIPPED OVER IN A FIELD, THE 1 
  PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR PALMETTO, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: TAMPA, FL  (SO35)                     Entry date: 01/02/2013 

 

 The pilot of the ultralight, James Clendenon, 82, was pronounced dead on the scene.

 MANATEE -- A Bradenton man in his 80s died Monday when the homemade ultralight plane he was piloting crashed off Buckeye Road and Grass Farm Road in northern Manatee County.  

Lt. Joe Perry of the sheriff's office arrived at the accident scene about 15 minutes after the 4:15 p.m. crash and discovered the victim was deceased.  "The debris field was extensive," Perry said. "The plane definitely came apart on impact. Two witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the plane before it went down."

People working cattle on the ranch talked to Perry.  "It was a single seat plane," Perry said. "The victim had no crew there."   Asked if the victim could have had a medical emergency that caused the crash, Perry said, "We'll probable never know that. He definitely died on impact."   The victim took off from Airport Manatee located at 14001 U.S. N., Palmetto. The Federal Aviation Administration will not be responding because the aircraft was homemade and experimental, the sheriff's office said.

 Palmetto, Florida -- Manatee County Sheriff's deputies, along with Fire Rescue, are currently investigating a fatal ultralight plane crash.

Authorities say the homemade ultralight plane went down in the heavily wooded area in the northern part of the county off Buckeye and Grass Farm roads near Palmetto.

Photo Gallery: Fatal plane crash near Palmetto

Fire Rescue sources at the scene have confirmed the male pilot was killed in the crash.

Some people in a cattle pasture told investigators they saw the plane drop to the ground. The sheriff's office says the plane took off from Airport Manatee, a short distance away from the crash site, on Hwy 41.

10 News will have more on this developing story as information becomes available.

Palmetto, Florida -- Manatee County Sheriff's deputies, along with Fire Rescue, are currently on scene at a fatal plane crash.

Authorities say the plane went down in the heavily wooded area in the northern part of the county off Buckeye and Grass Farm roads near Palmetto.

Fire Rescue sources at the scene have confirmed the pilot was killed in the crash.

10 News will have more on this developing story as information becomes available.

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