LEE COUNTY, Fla. —
A pilot whose plane made an emergency crash landing in the Estero Bay area Sunday afternoon has been identified as Curt Hosterman, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report.
The report says Hosterman was flying from Page Field when the plane’s engine shut off over Fort Myers Beach. He restarted the engine and turned back toward Page Field, but the engine shut off again before he could reach the airport.
Hosterman then found a place to land in mangrove trees withn Estero Bay Preserve. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit rescued him from the aircraft.
Hosterman, 68, was taken to dry land off Winkler Road where he was checked by EMS. The repoert states he was not injured and refused medical treatment.
The report also identifies the aircraft as a high-wing amphibious two-passenger float plane with tail number 279KF.
Video from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows its aviation unit rescuing the male pilot from the aircraft. The Iona McGregor Fire District previously confirmed the pilot was evaluated and no injuries were reported.
Colton Novella, a Lee County resident who lives near the preserve, described seeing emergency crews respond.
“I live maybe half a mile from there, and I actually saw all the fire trucks and, you know, rescue trucks going down there,” Novella said.
The emergency landing followed two other aviation incidents in Southwest Florida within a week. On Saturday, a plane made an emergency landing in the middle of Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers.
Two days earlier, another plane crashed into a citrus farm in DeSoto County.
The incidents have raised concerns among some local residents.
“I don’t know, that’s insane that three times in one week someone needs to do something to fix it. For sure,” said Giuseppe Foglia, a Lee County resident.
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified about the Fort Myers Beach incident and accepted jurisdiction, according to the sheriff’s office report.
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