Officials: 73-year-old pilot killed in Camp Blanding crash

Officials have identified a 73-year-old man who was killed in a plane crash at Camp Blanding.

A Clay County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said Herman Eugene Steele, 73, of Tennessee, was killed after crashing his plane at Avenue B and Tampa Street on Thursday.

Authorities notified the Federal Aviation Authority that a Mooney 20 aircraft went down at 3:15 p.m. Steele was the only person on the plane, officials said.

Steele’s daughter tells Action News Jax he was down visiting family and friends in Florida. She said he dropped two friends off in Ocala, before his final flight.

She tells us he was on his way to Cecil Airport in Jacksonville to visit her for her birthday, when his plane tragically went down.

She said she was happy that he at least died “doing what he loved.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is working to determine the cause of the crash.

Action News Jax is working to learn more about the crash. Follow @ActionNewsJax on Twitter and watch Action News Jax for the latest information.

Cox Media Group