A small plane crashed on the golf course of an exclusive gated community in the Florida Keys, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane went down at 12:43 Friday afternoon at the Ocean Reef Club in North Key Largo, said sheriff’s office spokeswoman Becky Herrin.
A photo from the sheriff’s office shows the plane’s nose destroyed and a wing clipped off.
The plane is a Cirrus Sr20 owned by Baker Consulting LLC in Mandaree, North Dakota, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s online registry.
Representatives with Baker Consulting, which according to its website is now called Baker Energy Services — specializing in oil and gas field engineering work — could not immediately be reached for comment.
Blair Vinton was driving his golf cart back home after visiting a friend when he saw the plane struggling as it approached Ocean Reef Club’s airport.
It was about 50 feet in the air, and its wings were going back and forth. There were wind gusts, and it veered left and went down to the ground, Vinton said.
He then saw men on the golf course run to the plane and pull the pilot out, adding that it didn’t look like anyone else was on board.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics flew the pilot to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami-Dade County for treatment. It was not immediately clear if anyone else was on the plane or if anyone else was injured.
The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Administration, according to Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Alex Camacho.
