Officials: 5 die in plane crash

Five people were killed Christmas Eve morning after a twinengine plane crashed shortly after takeoff at the Bartow Municipal Airport, authorities said.

Deputies say Lakeland attorney John Shannon was piloting the plane when it crashed. Also aboard were Olivia Shannon, 24; Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26; Peter Worthington Jr., 27; and Krista Clayton, 32.

All were killed at impact or immediately after, Polk County Sheriff ’s Office spokeswoman Carrie E. Horstman said.

Olivia and Victoria are John Shannon’s daughters. Clayton is a family friend and a teacher at Jewett Academy, deputies said.

Deputies say John Shannon filed a flight plan to Key West Sunday morning. Crews got to the scene at 7:31 a.m, and found the plane engulfed in flames.

About 15 minutes later, the blaze was under control, Polk County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Tina Mann said. Investigators say the plane pulled out of a hangar at about 6:30 a.m. and took off about 45 minutes later. The plane traveled east into a patch of heavy fog and crashed.

Officials haven’t determined what caused the crash near the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office hangar on Ben Durrance Road, but say it may have had to do with the fog.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Michael Williams, Ryan Gillespie