JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A person is dead after a glider they were flying crashed Saturday afternoon at Herlong Airport in Jacksonville.
The aircraft went down in the trees in the 8900 block of Normandy Boulevard, according to a tweet from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The crash happened on airport property, officials said. The glider fell approximately 150 feet to the ground.
The pilot of the glider was a 66-year-old man who was an experienced flyer, police said. When he released the rope from the aircraft that was towing him, the glider pitched before taking a nose-dive down to the ground. The aircraft appeared to be in distress, according to the initial investigation.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating the glider crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will help with the investigation, determining the cause of the crash.
If you have video of the crash or information about the incident, please call JSO at 904-630-0500.