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Sat, Jul 02, 2005

Florida Man Lost In Homebuilt Mishap

Comp Air Went Down In Take-Off Mishap

A 48-year old Florida lawyer was killed Friday when his Comp Air 7SXL stalled just after lifting into the air on take-off and impacted the ground. Witnesses said he gained virtually no altitude at all.

"It was an unusual takeoff," Winter Haven pilot Jim Thompson told the Lakeland Ledger. "He never got a good speed. He banked to the left, stalled the aircraft and went down nose first. He never got 100 feet into the air."

Witnesses rushed the fiery crash site to help pilot James Richard Hooper, who was on his way to Orlando for a business engagement. But there was nothing they could do.

"He did appear to be dead on impact," flight instructor Mike Birri told the Ledger. "It was frustrating to watch it happen."

The Ledger reported Friday's mishap wasn't the first Hooper had suffered in his Comp Air. Six months ago, according to airport officials, Hooper spun out of control on approach to landing, but was able to recover and land with minimal damage to his aircraft.

Hooper is survived by his wife, daughters, Chloe, 11, and Dylan, 15, and stepdaughter, Nikky, 21, friends said.

FMI: www.faa.gov

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