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Beloved Tennessee doctor killed in Titusville plane crash
Federal investigators are working to determine what caused a small plane to crash shortly after takeoff in Titusville on Labor Day, killing the pilot, a longtime Tennessee physician remembered for decades of caring for patients.
TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Friends, patients, and colleagues are mourning and remembering a Tennessee doctor who was killed on Monday in Florida.
Authorities said Dr. Michael Hood was piloting a small plane as it encountered engine failure and crashed into some trees and power lines shortly after taking off from Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville.
‘He cared for everyone’
What they're saying:
Dr. Hood was a beloved and longtime doctor at a family practice in Newport, Tennessee.
"Everybody loves him, everybody loves him," said Nancy, a longtime patient from Newport.
She said Dr. Hood had a way of connecting with anyone who walked through his door.
"It’s not this stiff uncomfortable thing waiting for a doctor. You know someone is walking into that office, and they care about you," she said, adding that his warm personality set him apart.
"People were drawn to him," she said. "He loved people, and they loved them back, and they responded to him on their level."
Donnie Tate, an administrator of the Family Practice Center, where Dr. Hood worked, remembered him in a statement shared with FOX 35.
"I just would like for the world to know how much he cared for everyone and his passion for life and his passion for helping people. Dr. Hood was a founding member of the Family Practice Center here in Newport, TN. He has practiced here since 1982, dearly loved and cared for his patients. He was a member of the local theater guild where he acted and sang. He was part of the Boy Scouts. He helped and oversaw rescuing people from the Smoky Mountains. He was absolutely a phenomenal human being, he would never turn a patient away."
NTSB, FAA investigations underway in plane crash
What we know:
Investigators with the FAA and NTSB have visited the crash site in Titusville. The plane wreckage has since been moved to a secure facility where it will continue to be examined to determine what caused Mr. Hood's plane to crash.
The NTSB said the pilot reported engine failure shortly after taking off and attempted to make a left turn to return to the airport, but crashed into the tree line and power lines near the airport.
Officials expect to have a preliminary report available in 30 days.
Anyone with videos or photos of the crash is asked to share those with authorities and the investigative agencies.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and patients and colleagues of Dr. Michael Hood.