No Witnesses To Afternoon Crash

The pilot of a homebuilt aerobatic plane was killed Wednesday afternoon when the low-winged aircraft either ground-looped off the runway, or overran it completely, while landing at the Lake Wales (FL) Airport.

Police identified the pilot as 70-year-old Jon Randolph Shimer. FAA records show Shimer was also the builder of the wood-and-aluminum One Design aerobatic plane (file photo of type, right).

Lake Wales police Lieutenant Troy Schulze told the Lakeland Ledger there were no witnesses to the crash, which occurred at around 1:30 pm.

Skydivers taking off to make a jump spotted the wreckage. FAA investigators arrived on the scene late Wednesday, with officials with the NTSB expected Wednesday.

Since Hurricane Charley destroyed several airport buildings in 2004, offices for airport operations are located in manufactured buildings out of sight from the portion of runway where the accident occurred.

**   Report created 9/21/2006   Record 1
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 973D        Make/Model: EXP       Description: ONE DESIGN
  Date: 09/20/2006     Time: 1734

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: LAKE WALES   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS
  FATALLY INJURED, LAKE WALES, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: KBOW 201751Z 28010KT 10SM SCT035 BKN110 BKN250 29/22 A2991

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 09/21/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov