Pilot 'Knew That Engine Failure Might Be Imminent'

ST. PETERSBURG - “The pilot called in over the radio that…he had a chip light, which lets you know there is metal in the engine,” explained Vance Harvey, owner of Safari Choppers, about events leading to the crash of a vintage propeller plane during the Sunday Grand Prix.

“He knew engine failure might be imminent...so he tried to circle back best he could…but he just hit the edge of the runway and went into the drink,” said Harvey, whose company was flying its tour helicopters when the crash occurred about 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The crash happened as the plane tried to land at the Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg. It missed the runway by 20 feet and plunged into Tampa Bay.

It was the second such incident in the last two days in the skies above the Grand Prix. On Saturday into the Bay while practice for the race was underway; no one was injured in that crash.

This latest crash occurred during an air show taking place, as part of Sunday's festivities. The propeller plane that crashed was a T28 Warbird, made in the 1950s.

Harvey said the pilot, who has yet to be identified, “didn’t bail out before it (the plane) went down, he brought it all the way down. Then he opened his canopy in the water and swam over to shore."

The pilot and a passenger were not injured and refused to go to the hospital.

Harvey received the information first-hand from his twin brother, Vince, who was flying one of the company’s tour helicopters out of Albert Whitted Airport when the crash occurred.

As of five o’clock Sunday evening, well after the Grand Prix was over, the craft was still in the water. The FAA and local authorities had the area cordoned off and were working toward removing the plane when it was deemed safe to do so.