Pilot witnessed deadly plane crash at Florida airport: 'An impact that no one could have survived'

ZELLWOOD, Fla. - A man in his 70s died on Saturday after the experimental plane he was piloting crashed shortly after he took off from a small airport northwest of Orlando, according to the FAA and NTSB. 

The plane crashed around 9:30 a.m. after departing Bob White Field Airport in Zellwood, Florida, northwest of Orlando and south of Mt. Dora, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.

FOX 35 spoke with a man who said he saw the plane takeoff and crash – and was one of the first to reach the plane.

"An impact that no one could have survived"

Gary English was at the airport with his daughter on Saturday. He said it appeared to be a normal takeoff - until it wasn't.

"It looked like a normal take-off. The plane was running good. We waved, and he waved, and we turned around," English said.

Moments later, he said, the single-engine Aero AT-4 light sport aircraft crashed into the ground, igniting an explosion.

"It was an impact that no one could have survived, so we dialed 911," he said.

"The airplane hit, almost going vertical. It hit, and it flipped over."

Gary and his daughter ran to the plane. English said he began recording to potentially assist the FAA and NTSB in determining what happened. 

He said the pilot, who has not yet been identified by authorities, was found 15 or 20 feet away from the aircraft.

Investigations launched

Both the FAA and the NTSB confirmed they would open investigations, and that the NTSB would be the lead agency in determining what happened. 

An NTSB investigator was expected to be at the crash site on Sunday.

"Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation," the NTSB said in a statement. The NTSB's investigation would focus on the pilot, the aircraft, and environmental factors, a spokesperson said.

"Aviation; it's not inherently dangerous, but it can be," said English. "And something like this brings it home, especially when it's your home airport."

"I just hope his family can, you know, be at rest of this," he said.