Worker clipped by plane at Florida airpark

A 42-year-old Florida father remains hospitalized after he was hit by plane at the Spruce Creek Fly-in community airpark in Port Orange.  

“He came around to the front and said, 'Larry just got hit by a plane,' and of course as a father my reaction was pretty strong,” said Larry Cooney, the victim’s father.

Cooney recounts the frightening moment he saw his son, Larry Cooney II, lying on the pavement -- the husband and father was seriously injured after he was hit by plane here while performing lawn care services.

“While he was doing his duties there,  a plane came down the taxiway and the right wing of the plane truck him in the back where he was doing the weed eating," Cooney said.

According the Volusia County Sheriff's incident report, the single engine plane was traveling north on the taxiway at about 5 miles per hour. The pilot told deputies he didn’t see Cooney who was wearing ear protection, until the last minute, and swerved to avoid hitting him, but the right wing of the plane struck Cooney  --  witnesses called 911.

“I appreciate prayers from anybody at this time, I think as far as talking to the doctor, we're in a good situation, it's just going to take time, he has back injuries,” Cooney said.

Cooney's father says he appreciates the hard work of the first responders and neighbors who jumped into help his son who remains hospitalized.

“Hopefully God willing he'll be fine in s short time because I'm going to need him to work because he's got to get healthy soon,” Cooney said.

The FFA is also investigating the incident.