Elderly Pilot Injured in Experimental Plane Crash in Oak Hill

OAK HILL, Fla. – A 78 year-old man was injured on Monday after reportedly crashing an experimental plane in Volusia County. Vincent Grasso is said to have built the plane at home and crashed it into the woods off of Maytown Road in Oak Hill. The plane, named ‘Legal Eagle’, is said to have taken off from a private airport in the area shortly before the crash. Witnesses said they saw it make two hard left turns before it backfired and lost engine power. The plane then disappeared below the tree line and crashed, with one witness saying they heard the sound of the impact. The plane was found by witnesses upside down in a tree with Grasso still strapped in. He did not appear to be conscious. Emergency responders rescued Grasso from his perch, about 15-20 feet off the ground according to a report. He was flown to Halifax Hospital in Daytona to receive treatment for his injuries. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office statement stated he was seriously hurt but in stable condition at the hospital. The wreckage of the Legal Eagle was removed from the woods soon thereafter.