Two Die in Small Plane Crash in Bartow

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 16, 2020

Emergency officials working within the town of Bartow in Polk County responded to calls placed close to noon on Thursday, February 13th, as a result of a small plane crashing into an area where many houses are present. Reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office indicated that the incident involved a small aircraft that was en route to a nearby airport or had just taken off from a nearby airport. It is not entirely clear whether or not the plane was being used to instruct students or if it was a private aircraft being used simply for leisure.

We do know that at least two individuals were inside of the plane at the time of the crash, however it is not known if either of these individuals have yet been identified.

The plane itself, a single-engine machine, was not built to withstand any sort of inclement weather or extended use, however it is not immediately known whether or not the area where the incident took place was experiencing any sort of poor weather at the time that the crash took place.

It is not known who notified emergency response crews about the incident, but the reports did state that none of the people who lived in the area were injured as a result of the crash. Sadly, within the plane were two individuals who were not able to be rescued following the incident. It is believed that both of these individuals died in the crash itself and that neither were alive when emergency response crews reached the area.

Following the incident, investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board as well as the Federal Aviation Administration began. Additionally, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has started its own investigation into the fatal crash. It is hoped that these three organizations are working together in order to discover just what happened within the cockpit of the plane to cause the crash.

As is not uncommon in such instances, no charges have been filed against anyone involved in the accident. It is possible that the investigation will unearth faults with the plane or some mishandling on the part of the operators, however it is also possible that the incident was not the result of any human error.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.