Lakeland Police Report Minor Traffic Accident at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport

<p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Lakeland Police Department reported a minor airplane accident occurred today as airplanes begin to arrive for the Sun and Fun Fly In that begins Tuesday, April 13, 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span>Pilot, Douglas Alan Jones, age 59, of Belaire, Maryland, lost control of his 1946 Luscombe Model 8-A airplane as it landed at Lakeland Linder Regional <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span>Airport today at approximately 2:47 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Jones was the pilot and single occupant of the airplane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;&#0160; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">As the airplane landed, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span>it skidded off of the runway onto the grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>The landing gear of the airplane collapsed, and the runway was shut down for approximately two hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Jones was not injured, but there was damage to the airplane.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The airplane was towed to a hanger where it will remain pending standard investigation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Media inquiries should be directed to Sergeant Terri Smith, PIO, 863-834-6917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span></span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="COLOR: #c00000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>