A single-engine plane crashed near Titusville's Space Coast Regional Airport on Monday, Sept. 7, killing the pilot. The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff when the pilot reported engine trouble, according to officials. Dr. Michael Hood, identified as the sole occupant, was a Tennessee physician who frequently flew to rural hospitals in his home state. Federal investigators from the FAA and NTSB are examining the wreckage to determine the crash's cause.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene at 10:16 a.m. along Columbia Boulevard (State Road 405) after witnesses reported the crash. Titusville Fire Department, Brevard County Fire Rescue, and airport personnel responded. Hood's body was recovered from the wreckage, which was located about 2 miles northeast of the airport's runway. The crash site is near the intersection of Columbia Boulevard and State Road 405, a rural area just outside Titusville's city limits.
Hood, 68, practiced medicine for over 45 years in Cocke County, Tennessee. He was a founding physician at the Family Practice Center and often flew himself to remote hospitals to cover shifts, according to his daughter. A statement from his family shared on WBIR-TV said he 'worked as both a hospitalist and ER physician, often flying himself to remote and rural hospitals to cover their staffing needs.'
Local officials have not released details about the plane's make or model. The NTSB is expected to release preliminary findings within weeks. Hood's daughter said he 'was a pilot not merely for pleasure, but in service of his family and community.' The crash is the first fatal aviation incident in Brevard County since 2021.