Alligator Flips Seaplane On Takeoff, Pilot Says

local6 ^ | April 10, 2008

[stainlessbanner]

SANFORD, Fla. -- A seaplane attempting to take off in an alligator-infested lake crashed when it clipped an alligator floating on top of the water, the pilot said.

Officials said the seaplane was one of two trying to take off from Lake Jesup in Seminole County on Thursday when it crashed.

The pilot, identified by officials as William Furr, suffered head injuries and a broken ankle and had to be rescued from the sinking plane by a boater.

After being pulled from the wreckage, Furr told emergency crews that his aircraft clipped an alligator.

"The pilot did say he thought it might have been an alligator," Seminole County Fire Rescue Lt. Alisa Keyes said. "There (are) a lot of (alligators) out here."

Furr was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The plane sunk to the bottom of the lake.

A second plane also taking off in the lake was not involved in the incident.

An investigation is being launched into the crash.

Lake Jesup is renowned for its high alligator population.

[stainlessbanner]

Jessup is a shallow, swampy lake.
Probably the most gator-infested body of water in the country.

[Red Badger]

Lake Jesup is renowned for its high alligator population.

Alligators smoke pot? WHo KNEW!?!?!...............

[Sax]

Lk Jessup is where the gators trapped in most of metro Orlando get dumped. You could practically run across the big lake on the backs of gators.

[sand88]

Lk Jessup is where the gators trapped in most of metro Orlando get dumped. You could practically run across the big lake on the backs of gators.

thats a lot of gators. What are their main food source in this lake?

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Alligators smoke pot? WHo KNEW!?!?!...............

[Truth29]

This sounds like a scene from a bad SciFi channel movie. Watchout for low budget agents trying to sign up the pilot.

[BGHater]

One of, they have some big gators there.

[Sax]

Fish, birds, snakes, frogs, lizards, mammals on at the waters edge to drink, hogs, deer. They grab dogs (on or off the leash) if you give them the chance.

Legal Harvest:

[Charles Martel]

Lk Jessup is where the gators trapped in most of metro Orlando get dumped. You could practically run across the big lake on the backs of gators.

Seems like the sort of place where you'd only operate a seaplane on a triple-dog-dare. Not everybody is as nimble as, well, you know...

[pabianice]

What a bonehead.

[stainlessbanner]

What are their main food source in this lake?

Seaplanes

[ffusco]

Your aligator walking skills precede you, Mr. Bond!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

The plane sunk to the bottom of the lake.

Not to pick nits here, but shouldn't it be:

The plane sank to the bottom of the lake.

[Squidpup]

[rawhide]

Man, I spent much time on that lake many years ago with my dad, fishing that lake from our boat. I do not remember the alligators back than?

[messierhunter]

"The pilot did say he thought it might have been an alligator"

They never said what the fate of the poor gator was! Did they find this at the crash site?

[Dumpster Baby]

[cubreporter]

I dont’ like that photo at all.

[El Gran Salseron]

"Not to pick nits here, but shouldn't it be:

The plane sank to the bottom of the lake."

This report comes from FL. I think the reporter meant, "The plane, it done sunk to the bottom of the lake." :-)

[irishtenor]

Curious tourists.