BAKER, Fla., April 10, 2026—Two men were injured today when the aircraft they were in crashed in Baker near Long Branch Farm Road.

The two-seater Piper J-3 Cub vintage aircraft took off from the Sky Ranch community dirt airstrip 3 miles north of Baker.

According to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office release, the pilot reported conducting a low flyover of another nearby airstrip when the plane experience an engine failure at approximately 200 feet resulting in the crash on private property.

The pilot was able to exit the aircraft and call 911. The passenger was trapped inside and had to be extricated by Baker Fire District firefighters. Holt Fire District also responded to the accident.

Both men were alert and conscious when first responders arrived. The pilot was transported by ground to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center while the passenger was airlifted as a precaution, according to the release.

Staff and OCSO release