Pilot Identified in Tampa Crash

A Sunday afternoon crash at Tampa Executive Airport has left one man dead as investigators work to determine the cause.

Ki L. Martin, 53, of Wimauma was the only one on board the single-engine plane when it went down, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office wrote in an email to the media. The accident occurred just before 4 p.m. at the 9334 Vanderberg Airport Road runway.

The plane was attempting a takeoff when it crashed, Det. Larry McKinnon, sheriff’s office spokesman, told The Tampa Tribune. “I’m not sure it got off the ground,” the paper quoted him as saying. It was unclear where Martin was heading.

A small fuel spill occurred at the crash site, but the plane did not catch fire. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue was able to clean up the spill, McKinnon wrote in his email.

The crash remains under investigation.