JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two good samaritans tried to save a pilot's life after he crashed into a golf course near Craig Air Center in Jacksonville, according to an incident report.
However, the 61-year-old pilot was later pronounced dead by the Jacksonville Fire And Rescue Department.
On Sunday around 6:20 a.m., the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and Aviation Authority Police responded to a plane crash in the area of Craig Air Center on Monument Road, according to JSO.
The incident report states that upon arrival, a red and blue aircraft was located that crashed into a ditch. Police say there was an unidentified man still inside the plane who was unresponsive.
Police say the two good samaritans were witnesses to the crash and were first on the scene. The two men were both reportedly in the ditch attempting to keep the man's head out of the water when police arrived.
The two men told police they could not feel a pulse and that the man was unresponsive.
The men said they saw the aircraft taxi on the runway before taking off the ground. The aircraft's engine then sputtered while in flight and the aircraft appeared to lose control before crashing into the ditch.
The JSO Homicide Unit is investigating the crash. Because the aircraft does not have a tail number by design, the FAA and NTSB will not be investigating the crash.
The Federal Aviation Regulations defines an ultralight aircraft as only having one seat and is used for recreation or sport flying. They are not required to be registered, nor is the pilot required to have a certificate.