Florida Pilot’s Heartbreaking Request to ATC Before Tragic Crash: “Tell My Parents I Love Them,” According to Report

A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday when a pilot was discovered dead following a plane crash in a Florida state park. The ill-fated flight involved a Cherokee Piper 180, a small propeller plane, which took off from Kissimmee Gateway Airport at approximately 12:45 p.m. The aircraft was en route to Gainesville, about 100 miles north, as reported by WUFT.

Regrettably, at around 2:10 p.m., the plane crashed near Micanopy, south of Gainesville, based on the Federal Aviation Administration’s preliminary report. In response, local authorities initiated a search operation within the expansive Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, spanning across 23,000 acres, to locate the missing aircraft.

Recordings of radio traffic obtained by WUFT unveiled distressing details. The male pilot had requested air traffic control’s assistance in navigating through challenging conditions with poor visibility, expressing difficulties in obtaining clear readings from the cockpit instruments. “I’m losing altitude,” he urgently conveyed, adding that he doubted his ability to maintain altitude without descending. Seeking solace in his final moments, the pilot asked air traffic controllers to convey his love to his parents. Other pilots in the vicinity reported hearing his desperate pleas for help over the radio shortly before the plane tragically plummeted.

At approximately 5:15 p.m., officials discovered the wreckage of the plane obliterated in a wooded area of the park. As of Wednesday, the pilot’s identity remains undisclosed, as stated by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. The investigation into the crash has been handed over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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