An Odessa man died when his small plane crashed in Spring Hill Friday morning.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, Gary Cohen, 56, died when a Cessna 206 amphibian with a pontoon crashed in the backyard of a home located at 13088 Little Farms Dr. in Spring Hill.
Cohen was en route from Odessa to Orlando, but was in contact with the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport prior to the crash, officials said. They have not released any details regarding the communications between Cohen and the airport.
Gloria and George Hubbs were nearby at the time of the crash, dropping their daughter off at school.
"As we were walking out, I heard the plane in distress," George Hubbs said. "The engine was cutting on and off."
Then they saw the crash.
"He did a loop, like a 180 loop, and nose-dived where it's resting right now," he said.
The couple ran to see if they could help, but they couldn't find anyone.
Law enforcement officers were just a few minutes behind.
“We got to the scene and unfortunately found a pretty horrific crash," Sheriff Al Nienhuis said. "It’s hardly recognizable as an airplane.”
George Hubbs said that while he and his wife were there, Gary Cohen's son ran up to them.
"He said he called him, the dad called him and said, 'I'm having problems with the plane,' " he said.
Neighboring homes were temporarily evacuated, but residents have since been allowed to return.
JD Floyd K-8 is located about two blocks away from the site of the crash, but the principal said the crash has not affected school operations.
A close-up view of the Cessna 206 amphibian plane that crashed in a Spring Hill backyard. (Hernando County Sheriff's Office)
First responders stand in front of the house on Little Farms Drive in Spring Hill, where a plane had crashed into the backyard Friday morning. (Leah Masuda, Staff)
Viewer photo shows how close the plane came to hitting the house on Little Farms Drive in Spring HIll. (Viewer Photo)