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Pilots defend experimental aircraft training regs after deadly Polk Co. crash

Arthur Canning died Tuesday after crashing his ultralight motor glider shortly after takeoff at the South Lakeland Airport

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — It's now been more than 24 hours since a deadly plane crash at the South Lakeland Airport near State Road 60 and Coronet Road in Mulberry.

Investigators are trying to piece together what happened but we do know the plane was a type of experimental amateur build aircraft, known as an “ultralight.” They're usually built or finished by hand by the owner.

The motor glider was certified for airworthiness in October, not normally required for experimental aircraft. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the pilot, 76-year-old Arthur Canning, had about 10 years of experience flying several types of planes.

“You have to take the proper training and learn how to fly this kind of aircraft,” said sport pilot certified flight instructor Ariel Acevedo, who rents hangar space next to Canning at the airport.

“I think it was a loss of control, and he entered in a spin and hit the ground suddenly,” he said. “That happens when somebody doesn't have enough knowledge of what he's doing.”

While the NTSB has not released a cause, Acevdeo says Canning was trying for weeks to find someone to teach him how to fly the Merlin Lite, whose manufacturer is also based out of the South Lakeland Airport. He couldn’t train with a flight instructor on his own plane because it only has one seat, so typically pilots try to find another owner with a similar aircraft that has two seats. 

“Ultralight is the most basic form of flight, and the Merlin Lite falls into that,” Dick Knapinski, communications director for the Experimental Aircraft Association, said.

Amateur pilots can be certified to fly ultralights after 20 hours of flight time. Experimental aircraft advocates say that's the right amount for flights meant for fun.

“Unlike private pilots, this is a step toward basic recreational flying,” Knapinski said.

But while a plane crash may make headlines, pilots say experimental aircraft cause fewer fatalities than motorcycles or horseback riding and add they are just as safe as any other plane; but there's always an element of danger. 

“Those types of aircraft, some people, sadly, they think they see it simple,” Acevedo said. “They think it's easy to fly, and when they jump over and try to fly it, an accident occurs.”

Canning lived nearby in south Lakeland. FAA records show he had a certificate to fly gliders but no public documents confirm he had a sport pilot certificate to fly an ultralight.

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