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Highlands Today

Plane Crash-Lands Near Landfill

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: August 30, 2008

LORIDA - A man and woman felt lucky after a single-engine plane in which they flew struck a bird Friday afternoon and was forced to crash-land in a cow pasture near the Highlands County Landfill, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Mitch Moore.

The sheriff's office received a 911 call at about 12:27 p.m. The FAA is investigating the crash.

It was definitely not a lucky day for the bird that struck and cracked the propeller of a 1946 Ercoupe 415, flown by Vincent Molina, 55, said Moore.

During the ride from the crash scene Molina said as he approached the field he managed to avoid a fence before landing the plane, which ended with its nose down and tail up in the air. The open field belongs to Sanford Hartt Ranch.

But, his passenger, Elizabeth Mallonee, 62, called her daughter and told her they were probably the luckiest people on Earth, Moore said.

The report was not yet completed, Moore said, and it was unknown where they are from, possibly the Fort Pierce area.

The airplane was about a half to three quarters of a mile from Arbuckle Creek Road about 250 yards west of the entrance to the landfill.
Molina had a scratch on his nose. They refused medical treatment.

"All in all they were very lucky people," Moore said.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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