Builder/Pilot Killed

Raymond Burgner, 48, of Lakeland (FL) was killed Sunday, in an accident of as-yet undetermined cause.

The local flight originated at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport (if that sounds familiar, it's the host airport of Sun 'n Fun), at about 6PM, according to a local report. A John Chambliss report in the Lakeland Ledger says that sheriff's deputies told him, "A witness ... saw the yellow plane flying over a field near Deen Still Road in the Green Swamp area about 7:30 p.m. A short time later, the witness, who was driving a car, turned south onto Moore Road and saw parts of the plane in the road, said sheriff's Lt. Wayne Lott."

The car driver called 911. The plane was upright, with its cowl torn off and its engine barely attached, but still oriented in the correct general direction. The main gear was still attached, but badly damaged. Burgner was dead at the scene, in the cockpit.

Though the airplane is registered as a Sonerai II,

Chambliss told ANN that deputies later said they thought that the plane was making an emergency landing, and may have snagged some power lines at or near the edge of the sod farm's field. Any damage to such lines has not yet been confirmed.

**   Report created 7/21/2003   Record 8  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 224RB        Make/Model: EXP      Description: EXP-SONERAI 11B
  Date: 07/20/2003     Time: 2330
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
  City: LAKELAND   State: FL   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ONE PERSON  ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, ACFT WAS DESTROYED,  LAKELAND, 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: METAR KLAL 202250Z 28006KT 15SM SCT040 BKN300 32/20 A3003
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: LAKELAND, FL                Dep Date: 07/20/2003   Dep. Time: 2300
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: CLRD FOR TAKEOFF
  Last Clearance: GAVE TRAFFIC INFO 2305Z
  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 07/21/2003