JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was killed in an ultralight aircraft crash Sunday morning in East Arlington, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
According to News 6 partner WJXT, Lt. J.D. Stronko, with the Sheriff’s Office, said JSO, Jacksonville Aviation Authority police and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded about 6:40 a.m. to Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport.
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Police said they learned an Aerolite 103 ultralight aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from the airport and a 61-year-old man died. It appeared the aircraft crashed on the golf course at the Blue Sky Golf Club.
Stronko said the man was practicing flight techniques on the flight line at the time of the crash. Police believe the man did have prior flight experience.
Officers could be seen speaking to at least three golfers and staff members at the golf club on Monument Road following the crash.
Due to the aircraft not having a tail number and its design, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will not be responding to the scene to investigate.
According to News4Jax aviation expert Ed Booth said ultralight aircraft are an unregulated part of aviation.
“An ultralight aircraft can only have one seat. It has to weigh less than 254 pounds empty, cannot carry more than 5 gallons of fuel, cannot fly faster than about 64 mph,” Booth said. “(It has) a wingspan of maybe 16 to 17 feet, steel tube frame, aluminum frame, covered by a Dacron fabric similar to sailcloth powered by an engine similar to what you would see on lawn equipment, a chainsaw engine, that sort of thing.”
He said pilots do not need any training or licensing to fly these aircraft, which are not supposed to be flown over populated areas.
According to News4Jax meteorologist Mark Collins, the weather most likely did not play a factor in the crash, as rain came into the Arlington area after the 6:40 a.m. crash.