Emergency Landing on Florida Beach Kills Beachgoer
A Georgia man was killed and his daughter critically injured Sunday when an airplane struck them as they walked along a Florida beach.
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Wendy Rose said Venice Municipal Airport officials reported a plane in distress Sunday afternoon.
The pilot of a 1972 Piper Cherokee radioed that he would be unable to make it back to the airport and that he was instead going to attempt a landing on Caspersen Beach, located just to the south.
The plane landed and struck Ommy Irizarry, 36, and his daughter, Oceana, 9, about 2:45 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Irizarry died on the scene. His daughter was airlifted to All Children's Hospital and is believed to be in critical condition, according to the sheriff's office.
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The pilot of this plane should be charged with manslaughter. I'm sure the man and his daughter were visible to the pilot, he made the decision to possibly run them down to save their own lives. Most pilots correctly sacrifice themselves to protect those on the ground. This pilot had a get out of my way attitude.