South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
WINTER HAVEN Planes went ‘nose to nose’ before midair collision
Investigator shares preliminary details
More details have emerged about the events that transpired before and after two small planes collided in Winter Haven, resulting in four deaths.
At a press conference, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Lynn Spencer said the Piper J-3 Cub went “nose to nose” with the Cherokee Piper 161 on Tuesday, killing 67-yearold Randall Elbert Crawford and 78-year-old Louis C. Defazio (in the Piper Cub); and Faith Irene Baker, a 24-year-old pilot/flight instructor with Sunrise Aviation, and Zachary Jean Mace, a 19-year-old student at Polk State College (in the Piper Cherokee).
Preliminary information and video footage captured of the crash show the Piper Cub attempted to dive to the right immediately before the collision, Spencer said.
The Piper Cherokee announced its location via the common traffic advisory frequency, but it is unclear whether the other aircraft could hear the radio transmissions.
According to Spencer, transmissions are not a requirement in this case.
“The Piper Cherokee was making a left descendent turn and came nose to nose with the Cub, which attempted an evasive maneuver,” she said. “We do not know what either pilot could see at this point in the investigation.”
After the Piper Cherokee announced they were performing a short approach to the runway, another transmission gave alert that a plane was turning toward the same runway, Spencer said. Four seconds later, a broadcasted emergency transmission was recorded, indicating an impact had occurred, Spencer said.
Investigators say, prior to the crash, the Piper Cherokee did one full-stop landing and two go-arounds maneuvers, which is an operation where pilots also perform short approaches by pulling off the power and simulating an engine-out landing.
Spencer said a plane doing a short approach could possibly be coming in tighter and closer to the runway, and at a steeper angle because the aircraft’s power is pulled back.
She said it’s an emergency maneuver that is routinely taught to pilots.
On Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff ’s Office deputies and rescue officials recovered the bodies of three passengers after an hours long search that was conducted via water and air.
The fourth passenger’s body was recovered on Wednesday, Spencer said.
Polk County Chief of Staff Steve Lester said authorities were notified of the crash at 2 p.m.
Tuesday and responded to an area near the Winter Haven Regional Airport, where witnesses said they saw two planes crash above Lake Hartridge.
At the press conference on Thursday, Spencer said the two aircrafts were recovered, with the exception of the right wing of the Cherokee Piper.
“I want to again express condolences on behalf of all of us at the National Transportation Safety Board to those affected by this tragedy,” Spencer said. “Our goal at the NTSB is to find the probable cause and to improve aviation safety. We will try to prevent this accident from happening again in this area.”
In a released statement, Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said: “Our Polk State College family is devastated by this tragedy. We extend our deepest condolences to their f a mi l i e s, friends, and colleagues.”
Anyone with information is being asked to reach out at witness@ntsb.gov or call 844-373-9922.