Four people were killed in a mid-air collision, including a college student and a flight instructor in Florida.
On Tuesday, two small planes collided mid-air over Winter Haven, Florida, killing four people and many rescuers.
A college student and a local flight instructor were among four people killed in the plane crash Tuesday afternoon, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Polk State College student Zachary Jean Mays, 19, and Sunrise Aviation pilot and flight instructor Faith Irene Baker, 24, died in the crash. Both are from Winterhaven.
The third victim was Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, of Pennsylvania, according to the sheriff’s office. The fourth victim has not yet been identified.
At least two people have died in a plane crash in Florida over a lake, authorities say.
The four victims were the only passengers on the planes, and the sheriff’s office said the search and rescue mission had turned into a recovery operation.
“My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in today’s accident. The NTSB and FAA will investigate the cause and circumstances of the collision. Please pray for families during this difficult and stressful time,” the sheriff said. This was reported to reporters by Grady Judd.
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The collision occurred over Hartridge Lake near Winter Haven Regional Airport around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
One aircraft, a fixed-wing Cherokee Piper 161, was operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College. Mace and Baker were passengers on this plane.
The other aircraft was a Piper J-3 Cub floatplane that operated from Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base at Winter Haven.
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Polk County Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Steve Lester told reporters that one plane partially sank and the other completely submerged to a depth of 21 feet.
The cause of the collision is currently unclear.
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