Small aircraft goes down near DeLand
A twin-engine AirCam plane crashed into a field in DeLand, Florida on Thursday afternoon, leaving the pilot with serious injuries. The aircraft went down near Eidson Drive, close to State Road 11, not far from the DeLand Municipal Airport.
The pilot, 75-year-old Heinz Gustav Peier from Ormond Beach, was the only person on board. Emergency responders found him inside the wreckage and airlifted him to a trauma center. His condition was listed as critical but stable at last report.
Emergency response was swift
The crash happened shortly after 2 p.m., according to local authorities. First responders located the aircraft quickly and began extraction procedures. The scene was secured and cleared within hours, but the investigation into what caused the crash is still ongoing.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have opened investigations. No official cause has been identified yet, and no timeline has been given for initial findings.
Quiet skies, then impact
Witnesses in the area described hearing the aircraft overhead followed by a low buzzing sound before it suddenly disappeared from view. A few moments later, smoke was visible above the field.
There were no fires reported on impact, and no one on the ground was injured.
As of now, there’s been no update from local hospitals regarding Peier’s recovery, and the wreckage remains under analysis by investigators.