A midair collision Tuesday afternoon between two small planes above Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven, Florida, killed both pilots and both passengers of the two aircraft.
One plane, operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College, contained student pilot Zachary Mace, 19, and pilot and flight instructor Faith Baker, 24. The other plane, operated by Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base, contained instructor Lou DeFazio, 78, and customer Randall Crawford, 67.
The two aircraft collided above Lake Hartridge at around 2:04 p.m., the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said. The wreckage fell into the water below, leaving one plane fully submerged and the other sticking part-way out of the water.
A local resident who lives along the lake recounted the scene.
“All of a sudden it was a giant boom. It literally sounded like when a rocket takes off and hits the atmosphere. We pretty much saw everything hit the water,” local resident Caridad Fernandez told WESH-TV, an Orlando NBC affiliate.
Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base offered their condolences on Facebook, saying “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of instructor and dear friend, Lou DeFazio, and fellow seaplane enthusiast and long time customer of the Base, Randall Crawford, in yesterday’s accident.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are now investigating.
