Only in Florida: A pilot fatally struck an alligator last week while landing a plane at Orlando Executive Airport.

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The pilot said his plane hit the gator, but he wouldn't provide further details because he said the Federal Aviation Administration is still investigating the incident.

Another pilot, Brad Pierce, posted a photo on Facebook, calling the incident "one of the craziest things I've ever seen in all my years in aviation."

Pierce said in the post, which had been shared almost 2,000 times by Wednesday morning, that a pilot was crossing a runway when an 11-foot gator jumped up and struck the wing of his Navajo as he was landing.

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"The gator was killed instantly and the aircraft sustained damage to the wing," Pierce said.

The airport is bordered by Lake Underhill and Lake Barton.

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Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

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