Officials: Four killed in mid-air collision between two planes in Florida

WINTER HAVEN, Florida. Four people were killed in a mid-air collision between two planes over Winter Haven, Florida on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the search and rescue operation was completed and no other casualties were found other than those on board the two planes.

At a press conference, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Steve Lester said that around 2 p.m., air traffic controllers received an 911 call informing them that the two planes had collided mid-air over Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven.

Deputies later stated that one of the aircraft was a Piper J-3 Cub floatplane operated by Jack Brown Seaplane Base Winter Haven and the other was a Cherokee Piper 161 fixed-wing aircraft operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College.

Shortly after arriving, rescuers discovered the body of one of the four victims. The remaining three were found after extensive boat and helicopter searches.

Three victims have been identified:

• Faith Irene Baker, 24, from Winter Haven, Sunrise Aviation Pilot/Flight Instructor (Cherokee Piper 161)
• Zachary Jean Mays, 19, from Winter Haven, student at Polk State College (Piper Cherokee, 161)
• Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, from Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Piper J-3 Cub)

By Tuesday evening, officials had yet to identify the fourth victim.

Several agencies, including Winter Haven Police, Winter Haven Fire Department, NTSB, FAA, and Polk County Fire and Rescue, provided assistance in the search.

“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,” he said. Sheriff Grady Judd.

It is currently unknown what caused the collision, but an FAA agent arrived on the scene Tuesday evening to begin an investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive on Wednesday.

Neighbors such as Henry Snipes said they often see seaplanes and other aircraft flying over the area.

“There are a lot of Piper planes flying around here all the time,” he said.

The airport is located next to a lake, and some seaplanes use the lake to practice touchdowns.

Snipes said he saw other plane crashes in the area.

“I saw a couple of them fall, some of them landed and turned over – turned upside down,” he said.

However, Tuesday’s crash, he said, is different. Other neighbors told us that they were praying for the families of the victims.

This story was originally published by Scripps New Tampa in Tampa, Florida.