BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

4 dead after 2 planes collide over Florida lake

(WFLA image)

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Four people are dead after two small planes collided in central Florida on Tuesday.

According to the Winter Haven Police Department, search and rescue crews responded to Lake Hartridge, about 50 miles east of Tampa, after the planes collided around 2 p.m.

“It was an in-air collision and both planes immediately went into the water,” Polk County Chief Steve Lester said. One plane sank 21 feet under the water.

According to investigators, one of the planes was a Piper J-3 Cub seaplane operated by Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven. The other plane was a Cherokee Piper 161 fixed-wing plane operated by Sunrise Aviation in Ormond Beach on behalf of Polk State College.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified three of the four people who died in the crash. They include pilot Fairth Irene Baker, 24, of Winter Haven; Polk State College student Zachary Jean Mace, 19; and Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, from Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Deputies said they are working to confirm the identity of the fourth victim.

“My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who were killed in today’s crash. The NTSB and FAA will be investigating the cause and circumstances of the collision. Please keep the families in your prayers during this difficult and stressful time,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Police were also asking residents to avoid a nearby boating ramp and to avoid boating in the area on Tuesday. The collision happened not far from the Winter Haven Regional Airport.

Details on what led up to the crash have not yet been released.

Southeast

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Mist

la

57°F Mist Feels like 57°
Wind
0 mph SE
Humidity
93%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Overcast. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
52°F Overcast. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
3 mph WNW
Precip
20%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Crescent