Four people were killed — including a flight instructor and a student pilot — when two planes collided in midair Tuesday and plunged into a Florida lake.
The Cherokee Piper 161 and Piper J-3 Cub seaplane crashed into Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven, about 45 miles southwest of Orlando, about 2 p.m., ClickOrlando reported.
Faith Irene Baker, 24, flight instructor with Sunrise Aviation in Ormond Beach, and Zachary Jean Mace, 19, student pilot at Polk State College, were killed, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.
Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and another person, who has not yet been identified, were aboard the Cub operated by Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, officials said.
The collision — which happened near the Winter Haven Regional Airport — sent one of the planes plunging 21 feet underwater, while the other one remained partially submerged.
The victims were the only people on the two planes, officials said.
“My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who were killed in today’s crash,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
“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,” he added.
In a statement, Polk State College said it is mourning the loss of the student pilot and instructor..
“Our Polk State College family is devastated by this tragedy,” school President Angela Garcia Falconetti said. “We extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues.”
The statement added that Polk “is offering support on its campuses, by phone, and virtually through the BayCare Student Assistance Program and the Employee Assistance Program.”
The cause of the midair collision is not yet known.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, Judd said.