More details on the deadly plane crash in Florida on Sunday morning were released by officials.
Five people were killed, including family members, in the Sunday crash in Polk County, according to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The plane took off 7:15 a.m. from the Bartow Municipal Airport and went east into the fog before the crash.
JUST AWFUL: On Christmas Eve, prominent Lakeland lawyer John Shannon among 5 killed, including two daughters, son-in-law and family friend, in small twin engine plane crash in Bartow this morning. @PolkCoSheriff says Shannon filed a flight plan to Key West. @10NewsWTSP pic.twitter.com/RXSrRdMbCH
— Josh Sidorowicz (@joshsidorowicz) December 24, 2017
The people on board the plane “perished upon or immediately after impact,” the office said.
The office identified the victims, and they were John Shannon, a 70-year-old lawyer, and his daughter Olivia Shannon, who was a 24-year-old student at Southeastern University.
Authorities say multiple people have died in a small plane crash in Florida: https://t.co/QoiGPwRekx pic.twitter.com/y1DGhlVpWm
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) December 24, 2017
Other victims include Victoria Shannon Worthington, a 26-year-old school teacher and John’s daughter; Victoria’s husband, Peter Worthington Jr.; and 32-year-old family friend Krista Clayton, of Lakeland, according to officials.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Shannon, Worthington, and Clayton families. This is a tragedy any time, but it is so much worse because it happened on Christmas Eve,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement about the crash. “We are providing all of our resources to assist them with anything they need to help them get through this horrific tragedy.”
“There was a fire after the plane crashed, which was put out by Polk County Fire Rescue personnel,” the sheriff’s office added.
Judd said that he personally knew some of the people who died on the plane.
A photo from the scene of the Cessna 340 plane crash at the #BartowAirbase. FAA has arrived, NTSB is en route. Once we can release more about victims we will. Praying for these victims & their families. #BartowPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/5jhFmPu1dS
— Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017
“I have known him for years and years and years,” he said.
National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration investigators will look into the cause of the crash.
Final news release on #BartowPlaneCrash please pray for these families pic.twitter.com/ZQBrtcM5OK
— Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017
“We were assisted by Polk Fire Rescue, which put out the fire. We know upon impact that there was a huge fire,” the sheriff said.
Judd added, “I am not a plane crash investigator but from all indications the plane was in the air and came back to the ground. And no there was no survivors, no chance of anyone surviving.”
Dispatchers described poor visibility.
“I do see Polk County Fire units, unfortunately on the runway the fog is so low we can’t see anything on the runway and are investigating and we did not see or come across any pilots or planes on the runway at this time,” the transcription of the dispatch said, as ABC reported.
Another noted the following: “Engine 461, Battalion 4, we’re on scene now at the air base… it’s really foggy. We’re unable to see it from our location, I’m going to try to make it out onto the airfield.”
“This is an absolutely horrific tragedy, especially on Christmas Eve. Please keep these victims and their family members in your prayers,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office tweeted about the accident.
