Two separate airplane crashes in St Johns County

The Florida Highway Patrol alerted Historic City News reporters to two separate airplane crashes this morning; one on Barrel Factory Road at Leonard Road that occurred about 7:40 a.m., the second, on CR-305 at Huff Road St Johns that occurred about 9:21 a.m.

In the first crash, the pilot, 62-year-old Thomas Linebach, was operating a 1957 Cessna PA-22.  The small plane experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The plane crashed into an oak tree at the edge of a cornfield and landed upside down in a small creek bed. Both occupants were transported to Flagler Hospital by EMS in “serious” condition.

In the second crash, the pilot, 31-year-old Terry Umbenhauer of St Augustine, was flying a small, single-engine 1979 Cessna 172.  At about 9:21 a.m., he was practicing emergency drills over a field located near CR-305 at Huff Road in St Johns; when, due to pilot error, the plane crashed into the field and overturned onto its roof. Both Umbenhauer and his passenger, 27-year-old Bassam Sameh Labib of Jacksonville, were uninjured.