The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Location: Citra, FL
Accident Number: ERA21LA020
Date & Time: October 13, 2020, 20:15 Local
Registration: N631PF
Aircraft: Aero Commander 100 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under:
On October 13, 2020, about 2015 eastern daylight time, an Aero Commander 100, N631PF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Citra, Florida. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The sister of the pilot who resided at the private airport property where the airplane departed reported that the pilot was in Ocala, Florida all day on personal business and after he had driven back, the pilot informed her that he was going to take a “quick flight.” The airplane departed about 1930, and about 15 minutes later, the pilot called on the phone to ask her to take her car to the runway and light it up with the headlights. The pilot informed her that he had lost sight of the runway and the airplane was low on fuel. She further stated that the pilot sounded like he was in a “panic.” Additional neighbors arrived and attempted to light up the runway with their vehicle’s headlights, but the airplane appeared to fly towards the east, away from the runway. She lost contact with the pilot about 2014 and attempted to call him several times, but was unable to reach him.
The airplane was subsequently located about 2 miles southeast of the airport. It impacted a swampy area in 5 ft deep water with dense brush. It was inverted in a nose down attitude and partially submerged. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office documented the accident site with photographs and drone footage which revealed significant compression damage and buckling of the airplane’s fuselage aft of the cockpit. The empennage remained relatively intact and all control surfaces remained attached to their respective locations. The cockpit and engine compartment were submerged.
As of the date of this report, the wreckage had not been recovered.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Aero Commander
Registration: N631PF
Model/Series: 100 Aircraft
Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KOCF,87 ft msl
Observation Time: 19:51 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 22 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 25°C /22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.96 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Citra, FL
Destination: Citra, FL
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 29.473624,-81.992119 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
CITRA, Florida – A pilot was killed early Wednesday when a single-engine plane crashed in a remote part of Marion County near the Ocala National Forest, officials said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said its aviation unit located the downed plane near Orange Springs.
investigators were able to reach the private plane and discovered the pilot, the sole occupant, dead, sheriff’s officials said.
The pilot was identified as John Toole Jr., 65.
Investigators believe that Toole may have been trying to land at a nearby private airstrip when the crash occurred.
Federal investigators are investigating the cause of the crash.
A plane that was reported missing on Wednesday after taking off in Citra has been found in the northeast corner of Marion County along with the body of the pilot from Davie, Florida.
Marion County Sheriff's Office officials said the Federal Aviation Administration told them they lost contact with a singe-engine aircraft early Wednesday morning and needed help in finding it.
With assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and the Sheriff's Office helicopter unit, local law enforcement officials searched for the plane and found it in a remote area of Marion County shortly before noon on Wednesday. Officials described the territory as wooded and swampy, off County Road 315 in Orange Springs.
Authorities said they found the body of pilot John Toole, of Davie, Florida, inside the aircraft. There were no passengers.
Deputies said Toole took off from Citra, where he had property and kept the plane for recreational flying in the area. When he did not return as expected, authorities were called to investigate. Citra is about 13 miles from Orange Springs.
The aircraft was an Aero Commander 100, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. It is a single-engine, four-seat, high wing, light monoplane aircraft, according to Skytamer.com.
NTSB investigators will inspect and issue a preliminary report in about two weeks. A more detailed investigation won't be available for as long as two years, a NTSB official said.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials tell TV20 the plane went down on Wednesday night in the Ocala National Forest.
The pilot has yet to be identified.
NTSB investigators are not yet on the scene of the crash.
MARION COUNTY, Florida — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a plane crash in which one person was killed Wednesday afternoon.
The plane went down in an isolated area of the Ocala National Forest, according to the sheriff’s office.
No other information was released as the sheriff’s office investigation is ongoing.
John “Bud” Toole didn’t like being stopped from using his 15-acres in Davie as a private airfield.
The prohibition may have jeopardized a sale of the land for $7 million to an investor who wanted to expand the landings and takeoffs, he said.
Toole didn’t just get mad. He is running for Davie Town Council.
Toole is challenging veteran Council member Marlon Luis, a contractor, for the western Davie District 4 seat in the March 15 election.
Who is John “Bud” Toole?
In many ways, the 61-year-old Toole is a throwback to Davie’s unstructured, cowboy past. He lives on 15 acres off Orange Drive east of Flamingo Road, which he also operates as a horse-training center. He also has a long history of run-ins with the law
Toole’s problems with authority stretch back more than 40 years.
As an 18-year-old in 1972, he was charged and convicted of petty larceny. He continued his quarrels with authority through last year.
By 2003, he was $13,000 behind in child support and facing a domestic violence protection order. A judge ordered Toole to pay over $13,000 restitution. The justice also stipulated that for future parental visitations, he pick up and return his child in the lobby of the Davie Police HQ.
In 2014, Toole was alleged to have housed a stolen horse from Michigan and refused to return it to the owner, despite a protective order from a Broward judge. The case was eventually settled.
But it is his plane that got Toole in real trouble among his neighbors. He repeatedly landed and took off his 1940 Piper J-5 last year on his Davie training center.
Neighbors feared that Toole might crash into their suburban homes and businesses. Other ranchers complained that the low flying plane was spooking their horses.
“I STRONGLY object to this use in this area and believe it is a safety hazard and significant departure from the quality of life we expect to enjoy,” e-mailed Shewen Zhou, who lived in Long Lake Ranches.
Leif Soreide wrote that the plane “…frighten(s) all the animals/horses here and devalue(s) all the surround property.”
Zhou and Soreide were joined by more than 75 of their neighbors who flooded Town Hall with complaints.
Town officials looked into Toole and discovered a problem: He had no permit from Department of Transportation or the town to use his property as an airfield.
The Town Council quickly banned any private airfields. Toole then decided to run for Council.
Toole is a candidate who appears to be running because he believes he was wronged.
Toole wasn’t wronged. His neighbors believe Toole was the one who was wrong to land and take off his plane in Davie.
“Nobody ever told me that I couldn’t do that,” Toole whined to the Sun-Sentinel about his airfield.
Wrong.
Your neighbors told you, John Toole, that they didn’t like you buzzing their rooftops. They just may tell you again in the March 15 election.
10 Responses to “John Toole, Whose Private Airfield Was Banned, Now Runs For Council”
February 16th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Somehow, someway, Mr. Toole has found a number of town residents to put up his yard signs. I can only imagine it is from his long years of living in the area.
I, and many of my neighbors, were among those who emailed and called the Town Council members about Mr. Toole’s low level flights near our neighborhood. Thankfully the Town reacted quickly to pass legislation to eliminate any future such flights.
We have enough noise from commercial planes landing at FLL. No desire to add low flying recreational planes as well.
It will be interesting to see who is backing Mr. Toole as the incumbent’s only weak spot is that he proudly votes to limit development not consistent with the area and Marlon’s defeat could literally alter the landscape in West Davie.
Marlon has my vote and I believe a majority of our fellow neighbors in the Town’s District IV in which he is running for reelection.
Mr. Toole has every right to run for office regardless of his background which Buddy mentions in this article. Hopefully that past will not become a campaign issue and Marlon will win on his own merits.
February 16th, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Let’s not forget that the last time Toole landed, it was so hard that several people called 911 thinking it was a crash. AND when the police came (and he was out of his plane) they smelled alcohol on his breath.
Louis is also against development in the area, hopefully preserving some of what makes Davie DAVIE. There is no reason to elect Toole for the Town Council. LEt’s keep a good man in office.
February 16th, 2016 at 9:16 pm
Marlon Luis has been an outstanding commissioner. He listens to residents and brings their viewpoint to the dais. He is also a resident who cares about Davie and he deserves to be re-elected. Commissioner Luis helped to defeat Davie Commons Mall. Thank you, Marlon. You will always have my vote!
February 17th, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Long time Council Member Marlon Luis has been a great fit in working hard to stop over development in Davie. His diligence and leadership in working with the Mayor and Council has been effective in maintaining our rural lifestyle. He is a Council Member of action not words. The Arnold Family will be voting again for Council Member Marlon Luis.
February 18th, 2016 at 11:22 am
Marlon Luis is an effective councilman for the Town of Davie, who looks out for the residents, and supports preservation of the lifestyle for which Davie is famous. Buddy Toole is just about Buddy Toole. He got his hand slapped for his unregulated, unauthorized, and inappropriate use of his training track, located in a suburban residential neighborhood, as a landing strip for his personal 1940’s era plane. His neighbors did not buy their homes next to an airport – his property is NOT an airport! Mr. Toole values his independent attitude, but he is still supposed to play by the rules that were put in place for the protection of all Davie residents. He apparently doesn’t think so. HIs candidacy is just silly. Marlon Luis has done a very credible job of representing the residents of Davie. He should be reelected to continue his good work.
February 18th, 2016 at 11:16 pm
I fully support my councilmember, Marlon Luis, 100%! He is and has always been available to the people in his district and goes out of his way to assist in any way he can. He lives locally so he truly cares about Davie and its residents. I happen to be a neighbor of Toole and I, amongst all of the people in my neighborhood, were extremely worried and displeased, to say the least, with his attempt to build an airstrip to fly and land recreational planes in a residential area. A number of us either went to the town or wrote to our councilmember and to the appropriate town officials to voice our concerns. I believe that Toole’s attempt to get elected is merely a tactic to try to push his own personal agenda through and not to represent the betterment of the people in our district. The proven person to represent our district is Marlon Luis and I’m proud to say that my vote is going towards his re-election.
March 6th, 2016 at 2:42 pm
I just learned of the name John Toole and for sure I will never vote for someone like him who has no respect for others.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, my peaceful day at the pool was ruined by a loud small trashy looking yellow airplane doing low circles above my house to promote John Toole…
Mr Toole, your freedom stops where mine starts so keep your airplane away from my house and everything will be good.
March 7th, 2016 at 10:46 am
Pro Toole/ Anti Marlon Luis….After reading several of the above comments all I can say is YOu have got to be kidding me. This is a one sided attack filled with hateful lies. Mr Toole as been apart of the Davie Landscape for years and is a native to Florida. He has been living here long before the transplants that have commented above. He has been watching over the town council meetings for a while now and sees just how the council are taxing and over growing the community to the point it is starting to take away the charm of living here. All of the statements said by Buddy are not the truth and until you also post some of Marlon’s record from him being 18, and marriages etc. This article is bias and everything that in it just trying to smear Mr Toole, He is a citizen for the Davie Community NOT ANOTHER CAREER POLITICIAN SPREADING LIES!!!!
March 7th, 2016 at 12:15 pm
I live in Davie and i wanted to get some information from you
i support recycling and harnessing natural sources of energy
1. what is the view of Marlon louis on developing composting in homes. Currently Davie does not encourage any methods of composting and recycling the waste in the house
2. Does he support solar energy? currently we have no support for installing and utilizing solar energy. My understanding is that FPL does not want us to have this facility.
March 11th, 2016 at 9:00 am
Bud Toole represents the “Silent Majority”. Nobody wants massive construction overtaking their Beautiful Landscape especially where they live and sleep Except….CONTRACTORS!After the community is completely “Built Out”, they pack up and Move to another rural area in Florida and start their Scheme all over again.
