Five people lost their lives in a plane crash in Florida last Sunday, Dec. 24. The victims include the plane's pilot, John Shannon, his family, and a friend who tagged along for a ride. The crash occurred just shortly after the small aircraft had taken off from the Bartow Municipal Airport.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the airplane departed from the Bartow Municipal Airport at around 7:15 am, and was destined to fly to Key West, Florida. After encountering a fog to the east, the plane came down and caught fire, which was which was eventually put out by the airport's fire rescue personnel. The case is still currently under investigation by the local authorities.
The model of the aircraft in question was a Cessna 340, a small airplane which is equipped with twin engines and is meant to fly a few people over short distances. It is still uncertain what exactly caused the crash, but it seems that a fog that the plane encountered shortly after take off is the primary suspect for now.
Among those killed in the tragedy are Shannon's two daughters -- 24-year-old Olivia Shannon and 26-year-old Victoria Shannon-Worthington -- and son-in-law Peter Worthington Jr., 27. Krista Clayton, 32, a family friend who had been invited to be part of the trip, was also identified as one of the victims. The incident left no survivors.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated, as reported by CNN, that there was no chance that this type of accident would leave any survivors. One of the airport's employees was able to capture on video just how thick the fog was during that morning. It appears that shortly after the Cessna 340 had taken off, the plane became very difficult to see due to the thickness of the fog.
