Flying club grounds planes after Chico’s day care crash

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FORT MYERS, Fla. The group of pilots whose president flew the plane that crashed into a day care Saturday is stopping further flights until inspections are performed.

Fort Myers Flying Club President Anthony Greco Jr. was injured and his passenger was killed when the plane crashed into the day care at Chico’s corporate headquarters on Metro Parkway.

Marc Scott (Photo via AccuData)

Accudata Vice President of Sales Marc Scott, 37, was identified as the passenger Monday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Certified aircraft mechanics will perform the inspections, which are on top of the annual inspections the planes have already undergone, Fort Myers Flying Club Vice President Mike Jackson said.

The move is a precaution designed to ensure the club’s pilots of the safety of the planes, Jackson said. The club hopes the inspections are completed in a week.

Greco managed to get away just minutes before the plane burst into flames. Following the crash, he was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, but was not listed as a patient Sunday.

Anthony Greco Jr. Photo via LinkedIn.

A Piper PA-28-181 aircraft crashed into the structure — which sustained significant damage– around 8 a.m. Saturday following takeoff from Page Field, officials said.

The day care center remained closed Monday, though Chico’s headquarters was open. Parents reliant on child care are able to work from home until further notice.

No one was inside the day care at the time of the plane crash.

The National Transportation Security Board removed portions of the wreckage to be taken to a salvage facility in Jacksonville. The comprehensive investigation is expected to take between 10 to 14 days.

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