WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Four people are dead after two planes collided in Winter Haven on Tuesday afternoon.
In a news conference, the Chief of Staff for the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Steve Lester, said dispatchers received a 911 call around 2 p.m. informing first responders that two planes had collided in the air over Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven.
Deputies later said one of the planes was a Piper J-3 Cub seaplane operated by Jack Brown's Seaplane Base in Winter Haven and the other was a Cherokee Piper 161 fixed-wing plane operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College.
The body of one of the four victims was located by first responders quickly after they arrived. The other three were found after a lengthy search by boat and by helicopter.
Three of the victims have been identified as:
- Faith Irene Baker, 24, of Winter Haven, a pilot/flight instructor with Sunrise Aviation (Cherokee Piper 161)
- Zachary Jean Mace, 19, of Winter Haven, a student at Polk State College (Cherokee Piper 161)
- Randall Elbert Crawford, 67, from Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Piper J-3 Cub)
- Louis C. Defazio, 78 of Fredricksburg, Texas and Winter Haven (Piper J-3 Cub)
The sheriff's office said on Wednesday that both planes are still in the lake and are expected to be recovered sometime on Wednesday by a contractor working with the NTSB.
Multiple agencies, including Winter Haven Police, Winter Haven Fire, NTSB, FAA, and Polk County Fire Rescue, assisted in the search.
"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," said Sheriff Grady Judd.
It is unknown at this time what caused the collision, but an agent with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived at the scene Tuesday evening. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected on Wednesday.
Polk State College released said its offering support on its campuses by phone and virtually through the BayCare Student Assitance Program and Employee Assistance Program.
“Our Polk State College family is devastated by this tragedy,” Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said. “We extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues.”
Neighbors like Henry Snipes said they commonly see seaplanes and other aircraft flying over the area.
“There’s a lot of Piper planes that go around out here all the time," he said.
The airport is located adjacent to the lake and some of the seaplanes use the lake to practice "touch-and-go" landings.
Snipes said he's even seen previous crashes in the area.
“I’ve seen a couple of them go down as some of them are landing and tipped over — flipped over upside-down," he said.
He said the crash on Tuesday, however, is different. Other neighbors told us they're praying for the families of those killed.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
