Beech Baron Went Down Shortly After Takeoff From Ocala, FL

A Beech Baron went down Thursday shortly after takeoff from Ocala International Airport (KOCF) in central Florida, resulting in the fatal injury of the two people on board the aircraft.

Television station WOFL reports that, according to the Ocala Police Department, the accident shut down a section of State Route 200 for several hours while the FAA and NTSB traveled to the accident scene.

Authorities said that the pilot was attempting to make an emergency landing on the highway shortly after departing from KOCF at about 11:30 a.m. It impacted an SUV with two people inside as is skidded to a stop. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Television station WESH reports that, according to Lawrence McCarter, the lead NTSB investigator on the scene, the two occupants of the airplane were a pilot and a mechanic. The plane had been in Ocala for maintenance, and the flight was conducted to check on fuel gauges on the airplane.

"They were working on the engine; there was some kind of issue with the fuel monitoring units. We do have the information they replaced. The mechanic rode along with the pilot to typically observe the unit working," McCarter said. "We are paying particular interest, emphasis on the engine. We will transport the entire vehicle to a Jacksonville storage facility in controlled conditions."

McCarter said that the pilot contacted air traffic control to request a return to the airport, but did not declare an emergency. He said there are several credible witnesses who have said the plane "flew out over the mall here and took a left shallow turn back towards the airport."

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: Source report
Source report