AUBURNDALE, Fla. — A preliminary report on a fatal plane crash in Auburndale in December found a the plane made contact with a turkey vulture before it went down.
What You Need To Know
- Aerofab Lake LA-4-250 airplane crashed into Lake Arietta
- Preliminary report found the aircraft made contact with a turkey vulture before going down
- Witnesses said the plane appeared to be flying low over the lake before the crash
- Names of victims not yet released; investigation still under way
Two people, a male and female, died when the single-engine Aerofab Lake LA-4-250 airplane crashed into Lake Arietta on Dec. 17.
Witnesses told police the pontoon-style plane appeared to be flying low over the lake, when it banked hard and went into a steep decline.
Auburndale Fire Department and Police Department, Polk County Sheriff Office and Polk County Fire Rescue performed search and rescue operations.
In a news release, Auburndale Police said: “Witnesses described the plane as moving toward the south then making a turn toward the west, seeing the right wing dip, and then the plane entering the lake at a steep angle, catching fire when it hit the water.”
Officials did not say where the flight originated from.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have investigated the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents.