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Airplane Crashes on Florida Beach, Killing One

A single engine airplane crashed on a Florida beach Sunday afternoon, killing a man and injuring his daughter, Sarasota County Sheriff's spokeswoman Wendy Rose said.
Image: A plane crash-landed on Caspersen Beach in Venice, Fla., on Sunday.
A plane crash-landed on Caspersen Beach in Venice, Fla., on Sunday.Courtesy Zack Arceneaux

A single-engine airplane crashed on a Florida beach Sunday afternoon, killing a man and injuring his daughter, Sarasota County Sheriff's spokeswoman Wendy Rose said. The pilot and his passenger were not injured.

Shortly before 3 p.m., an area airport told the sheriff's office that a 1972 Piper Cherokee piloted by Karl Kokomoor, 57, of Englewood, Florida, was in distress and was planning to land on the shore. NBC affiliate WFLA identified the area as Caspersen Beach, in Venice.

Ommy Irizarry, 36, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, was walking on the beach with his 9-year-old daughter when they were struck by the crash-landing plane, Rose said. The girl was taken by helicopter to All Children's Hospital and is believed to be in critical condition. The National Transportation Safety Board was planning to investigate.

Image: A plane crash-landed on Caspersen Beach in Venice, Fla., on Sunday.
A plane crash-landed on Caspersen Beach in Venice, Fla., on Sunday.Courtesy Zack Arceneaux
—Tim Stelloh