1 dead in small plane crash at St. Pete-Clearwater airport

The pilot of a small plane was killed in a crash at the St. Pete-Clearwater global Airport Wednesday, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. The crash was visible from the tower, however, and controllers called 911 and the airport’s emergency personnel.

Somehow the plane veered off the runway and crashed onto the grass killing the pilot. Authorities said the pilot was the only person onboard.

According to airport spokeswoman Michele Routh, the pilot of a twin-engine plane lost control and crash landed on the side of a runway. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were on scene about an hour later investigating the crumpled fuselage to determine the cause of the crash. “Yes sir. I got it. Thank you”.

The Twin Comanche veered off of runway 36R at 11:45 a.m. An airport spokesperson said the pilot was practicing “touch and go” landings.

ATC: “Everything’s closed for right now due to an emergency”.

“There was no communication relayed that was wrong with the aircraft”, says Jewsbury.

Flight operations were temporarily delayed at the time of the incident; however, normal flight operations have resumed.

The aircraft came from Jet aircraft management in Sarasota.

Rescue crews from the airport were the first to arrive but could not save the pilot.