Cessna 170B Pilot and Skydiver Survive Collision

(Photos courtesy of Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

An incredible series of photos dramatically illustrate the progression of a collision that happened over the weekend at the South Lakeland Airport — a grass field in Mulberry, Florida, southwest of Lakeland.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that the pilot, Sharon Trembley, was practicing takeoffs and landings in a Cessna taildragger when the skydiver, reported as John Frost, came in for a landing under a parachute. Just as Frost was about to touch down, the airplane's right wing struck the parachute's strings, pulling Frost back into the air like a ragdoll. Meanwhile, the Cessna flipped around and crashed nose first in the turf.

Bystanders helped Trembley out of the airplane. Trembley and Frost were transported to the hospital, but both appear to have suffered only minor injuries. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the accident.

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Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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