AUBURNDALE — Two Auburndale men were seriously injured Thursday afternoon in a single-engine plane crash near Marathon.
Derrick H. Kelley, 53, and Danny A. Gilileo, 49, were airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The pilot, Roch A. D Aoust, 65, of Panama City Beach, also is being treated for serious injuries at the Miami trauma center.
A third passenger, Tony R. Lewis, 60, of Lakeland, suffered only minor injuries in the crash of the Piper Lance aircraft shortly after taking off from Marathon Airport, the FHP said.
One of the passengers told authorities that the plane was caught by a gust of wind shortly after liftoff, driving it into a line of trees on the west side of the airport runway. The impact spilled approximately 90 gallons of fuel.
The FAA is investigating the accident that had shut down the airport for much of Thursday afternoon.
The plane is registered to All Pro Auto Parts Inc., of Auburndale, according to The Key West Citizen. State records show that Kelley is the manager of the business.