Sunday, December 24, 2017

Loss of Control in Flight: Cessna 340, N247AT; fatal accident occurred December 24, 2017 at Bartow Municipal Airport (KBOW), Polk County, Florida

Taxi Video Screenshot

Taxi Video Screenshot

Takeoff video Screenshot

Accident Site, Aerial View

Accident Site, Aerial View

End of Debris Path

Accident Site

Accident Site

Initial Impact Area

Right Elevator

Elevator Trim Control Rod


Elevator Trim Control Rod

Elevator Trim Control Rod

Elevator Trim Sprocket

Elevator Trim


The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
RAM Aircraft L.P.; Waco, Texas

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
http://registry.faa.gov/N247AT




Location: Bartow, FL
Accident Number: CEN18FA061
Date & Time: 12/24/2017, 0717 EST
Registration: N247AT
Aircraft: CESSNA 340
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 5 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Analysis 

The instrument-rated private pilot and four passengers boarded the multiengine airplane inside a hangar. The pilot then requested that the airplane be towed from the hangar to the ramp, since he did not want to hit anything on the ramp while taxiing in the dense fog. Witnesses heard the pre-takeoff engine run-up toward the end of the runway but could not see the airplane as it departed; the engines sounded normal during the run-up and takeoff. A witness video recorded the takeoff but the airplane was not visible due to the dense fog. During the takeoff roll the airplane's tires chirped, which is consistent with the wheels touching down on the runway with a side load. The video ended before the accident occurred. The witnesses stated that the takeoff continued and then they heard the airplane impact the ground and saw an explosion. The weather conditions at the time of the accident included visibility less than 1/4 mile in fog and an overcast ceiling at 300 ft above ground level. The airplane's weight at the time of the accident was about 105 lbs over the maximum takeoff weight, which exceeded the center of gravity moment envelope. The excess weight would have likely extended the takeoff roll, decreased the climb rate, and increased the amount of elevator pressure required to lift off of the runway.

A majority of the airplane was consumed by postcrash fire. The ground impact marks and wreckage distribution were consistent with the airplane rolling left over the departure end of the runway and impacting the ground inverted in a nearly vertical, nose-low attitude. Examination of the engines revealed operating signatures consistent with takeoff power at the time of impact. The elevator trim tab and actuator were found beyond their full up travel limits and the trim cable exhibited tension overload separations near the actuator. It is likely that, when the cable separated in overload, the chain turned the sprocket and extended the actuator rod beyond full travel. No anomalies were observed with the airframe, engines, or cockpit instrumentation that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation was unable to determine the status of the autopilot during the accident takeoff.

Based on the evidence it's likely that when the airplane entered instrument meteorological conditions the pilot experienced spatial disorientation, which resulted in a loss of control and descent into terrain.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation during takeoff in instrument meteorological conditions.

Findings

Aircraft
Airspeed - Not attained/maintained (Cause)
Maximum weight - Not attained/maintained
Maximum weight - Capability exceeded
CG/weight distribution - Capability exceeded

Personnel issues
Spatial disorientation - Pilot (Cause)
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues
Fog - Effect on operation (Cause)
Low visibility - Effect on operation (Cause)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff
Loss of visual reference
Other weather encounter
Loss of control in flight (Defining event)

Uncontrolled descent
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Post-impact
Explosion (post-impact)
Fire/smoke (post-impact)

On December 24, 2017, at 0717 eastern standard time, a Cessna 340 airplane, N247AT, impacted terrain after departure from Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW), Bartow, Florida. The private pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Aviation Transportation LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with a planned destination of Key West International Airport (EYW), Key West, Florida.

The pilot filed an IFR flight plan on a Garmin GPS device and received an IFR clearance from the Tampa air traffic control tower. The BOW air traffic control tower was closed at the time of the accident.

According to two fixed base operator (FBO) employees at BOW, the pilot requested that the airplane be towed from the hangar to the ramp. The pilot stated that he wanted a tow so that he did not have to taxi next to the other hangars because of reduced visibility and dense fog. About 0645, the five occupants boarded the airplane and the FBO employees towed it to the ramp.

The FBO employees stated that the pilot started the engines and that they watched as the airplane very slowly taxied toward the end of runway 9L. The fog limited their visibility to about 400 ft. They could no longer see the airplane in the dense fog, so they moved to an area on the ramp closer to the runway. The pilot contacted Tampa Approach at 0710 for his IFR clearance. The FBO employees heard an increase in engine noise consistent with an engine run-up, and about 0715, they heard the airplane take off but they could not see the airplane because of the dense fog. The engines "sounded strong and [were] operating at full power" during the takeoff. They heard two tire "chirps" on the runway, then the sound of the airplane was consistent with a climb. They then heard an explosion on the east side of the airport and drove toward the explosion to find the airplane on fire. One of the FBO employees recorded a video of the airplane taxiing on the ramp toward the runway and another video of the takeoff.

The video captured by the FBO employee was 46 seconds long. While recording the video, the employee was located near the middle of the ramp and about 1/2 mile from the end of runway 9L. The accident airplane is not visible due to the dense fog. The sound of the engines is audible. The video pans from right to left and appears to follow the sounds of the airplane during the takeoff roll. At 26 and 28 seconds, two distinct chirps are heard. The video ends while the engines are still audible.

A helicopter pilot based at BOW observed the airplane taxiing on the ramp toward the runway. He recorded a video of the airplane taxiing on the ramp in the dense fog. He heard the airplane take off about 12 minutes later. During the takeoff, he heard a 'pop' similar to an engine backfire and about 3 seconds later, heard the explosion near the end of runway 9L. He and a colleague drove to the accident site, where they found the airplane engulfed in flames and saw the FBO employees nearby. He estimated that the runway visual range at the time was 600 to 800 ft due to the fog.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 70, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/31/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 1600 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

The pilot's logbooks were not located, and the pilot's instrument currency or proficiency could not be determined.

The mechanic who maintained the airplane stated that the pilot always flew with his feet flat on the floor and not on the rudder pedals. He also stated that the pilot never flew dangerously or recklessly. He added that the pilot's personal logbooks were always kept on the back shelf in the airplane.

The pilot's personal assistant stated that he always flew the airplane a couple of days before a flight with passengers. She stated that everyone she talked to described him as a good pilot and diligent with his pilot duties.

An acquaintance of the pilot, who also was the pilot's flight instructor in 2002, recounted flying the accident airplane with the pilot. He stated that the pilot mentioned an in-flight engine failure he experienced in the accident airplane. The pilot told him that he continued to his destination rather than making a precautionary single-engine landing because the logistics of diverting were too difficult. The acquaintance also stated that he and the pilot were supposed to fly the accident airplane together in early 2017. On the morning of the planned flight, he checked the weather conditions, which were about 1/4 mile visibility and 100 ft ceilings with dense fog. He told the pilot that they could not complete the flight because of the weather, and the pilot responded that, legally, they were allowed to fly under Part 91. The acquaintance had not talked to the accident pilot since that canceled flight.

A local airplane mechanic, who was a business acquaintance of the pilot, stated that he flew with the pilot one time and then refused to fly with him again. The acquaintance stated that he was not a safe pilot and took unnecessary risks.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N247AT
Model/Series: 340
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1973
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 3400214
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 01/02/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 6390 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1607.5 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-520-NcNB
Registered Owner: AVIATION TRANSPORTATION LLC
Rated Power: 335 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The mechanic who maintained the airplane stated that, 2 days before the accident, at the request of the pilot, he moved the co-pilot seat aft and adjusted the rear seats forward. He also stated that the accident airplane had a known autopilot issue; if the autopilot was engaged on the ground, it would command the elevator trim full nose-down. He understood this issue was a result of the autopilot's gyros not being level on the ground, which caused the autopilot to sense and attempt to compensate for a high pitch attitude. He stated that the accident pilot was aware of this autopilot issue.

The airplane logbooks did not reveal any past maintenance discrepancies or write-ups related to the autopilot or elevator trim.

One of the aforementioned BOW FBO employees reported that, on December 22, 2017, he received a fuel order from the pilot. He filled the airplane's tip tanks and auxiliary tanks with 100LL fuel; the nacelle tanks were already full. Later that day, he removed the airplane from the hangar; the pilot flew the airplane for about 30 minutes, then the employee towed the airplane back to the hangar.

A review of the left and right engine maintenance logbooks revealed entries for annual inspections that included an oil change and oil filter inspection and replacement on January 2, 2017, at 1,582.9 hours tachometer time. The previous two entries, dated December 20, 2015, and November 17, 2014, at 1,558.4 hours and 1,543 hours, respectively, noted an annual inspection was completed with oil and oil filter changes.

The oil filter found on the left engine at the accident site was marked with 1,543 hours tachometer time and dated January 6, 2014. When questioned about the discrepancy, the mechanic stated that the oil was actually not changed on either engine during the two previous inspections as noted in the logbooks and that the entries were not accurate. The mechanic stated that he planned to change the oil and replace the filters during the next annual inspection, which was due in January 2018.

The logbooks also revealed that the most recent IFR certification for the transponder and pitot static system was completed on June 20, 2014. To fly in IFR conditions the system must be inspected and certified every 24 calendar months.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KBOW, 125 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0715 EST
Direction from Accident Site: 295°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR): 600 ft
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / Unknown
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.18 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 12°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Heavy - Fog
Departure Point: Bartow, FL (BOW)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: KEY WEST, FL (EYW)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 0716 EST
Type of Airspace: Class E 

The automated weather observation station at BOW reported consistent weather conditions from 0635 to 0715, which included visibility less than 1/4 mile, fog, an overcast cloud layer at 300 ft, temperature 56°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.18 inches of mercury.

An area forecast discussion was issued for the region by the National Weather Service (NWS) that identified widespread shallow fog. An NWS dense fog advisory was in effect for Polk County, Florida. A center weather advisory was in effect for the accident area and advised of ceilings below 500 ft agl and visibilities below 1 mile in fog and mist. An AIRMET for IFR conditions was in effect for the accident area.

There was no evidence that the pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing from a recorded source. 

Airport Information

Airport: BARTOW MUNI (BOW)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 124 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 09L
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5000 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 4 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: On-Ground
Total Injuries: 5 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 27.946389, -81.773889 (est) 

The accident site was located on airport property about 190 yards east-northeast of the departure end of runway 9L and 10 ft south of taxiway delta (figure 1).

Figure 1 – Aerial View of Accident Site

The debris path was about 230 ft long and oriented northeast. The beginning of the debris path was defined by several ground impact craters in a line perpendicular to the debris path and the main wreckage. The middle impact crater contained pieces of the airplane's nose cowling and baggage door. Immediately to the right was the left engine's propeller. To the left of the middle crater was the right engine's propeller. A portion of the left wing tip fuel tank was found on the far right side of the initial impact area, and a portion of the right wing tip fuel tank was found on the far left side of the initial impact area. The main wreckage came to rest upright and oriented southeast about 30 ft from the initial impact craters. The fuselage was mostly consumed by fire and the empennage remained mostly intact with significant thermal damage. Both engines separated from the airplane and came to rest near the main wreckage. Airplane debris was found on the taxiway northeast of the main wreckage. The nose landing gear was separated from the airplane and found about 200 ft northeast of the main wreckage.

The flight controls exhibited impact and thermal damage but did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. The wing flap position could not be determined due to the extensive damage. The elevator trim tab was found beyond its full up limit. The elevator trim cable exhibited tension overload separations near the actuator and the other side of the cable was intact in the aft fuselage area. The elevator trim actuator was found at 2 ¼ inches, which was beyond the full length of travel (1.9 inches). The round hole in the trim tab surrounding the actuator rod was damaged and pushed aft by the rod end and bearing. The damage on the rod end matched the damage to the hole. The trim cable and chain on the top side of the actuator sprocket was pulled during the examination to test its functionality. When the cable was pulled, the actuator retracted and the trim tab lowered from its full-up position.

The landing gear actuator and the left and right main landing gear were all retracted.

Two attitude indicator gyros and one directional gyro were disassembled and examined. All three gyros exhibited rotational scoring inside the housings and along the circumference of the gyros. An electric turn-and-bank indicator gyro was disassembled and examined; it also exhibited rotational scoring.

The two vacuum pumps were separated from the engines and sustained significant impact damage. The right engine vacuum pump drive remained attached to the right engine and was melted by the postimpact fire. The left engine vacuum pump was separated from the engine, and the pump body and drive were intact. A portion of the vacuum manifold, which consisted of one of the end caps but no flapper valves, was found in the wreckage.

The left engine was separated from the airframe and was identified based on the data plate and maintenance records. The crankshaft was completely fractured at the nose oil seal and the propeller flange remained attached to the propeller hub. The crankshaft fracture surface displayed tearing, shear lips, and discoloration consistent with an overstress separation on impact. The top sparkplugs displayed a normal worn appearance with no signs of lead or carbon fouling. The bottom sparkplugs were examined via a lighted borescope with no anomalies noted. The return line from the fuel pressure regulator to the fuel pump remained in place and, when removed, residual fuel poured from the pressure regulator. The pump was disassembled, and the pump vanes were intact with no anomalies noted with the internal components.

The fuel manifold valve remained secured to the top of the engine and the fuel lines remained attached to the housing. The fuel lines remained secured to their nozzles and the upper deck reference line remained secured to the nozzles. The nozzles were free of obstructions. The fuel manifold screen was clear of contaminants and residual fuel was observed in the housing. The No. 2 intake inner valve spring was fractured. Residual oil was observed in each rocker cover. The cylinders were inspected and documented utilizing a lighted borescope. The No. 3 exhaust valve displayed two areas of green discoloration; otherwise, the pistons, valves, and valve seats were unremarkable. Manual rotation of the crankshaft was not possible due to impingements on the crankshaft and camshaft at the front of the crankcase and the oil sump, respectively. Sand and dirt from the accident site were embedded in the right exhaust slip joint area. The exhaust riser system on the aft end of the engine was crushed forward.

The left propeller hub remained intact and the piston was compressed aft. All three blades remained attached to the hub, but they were free to rotate in the hub, indicative of pitch change link fractures. The blades were labeled 1, 2, and 3 according to their hub location and for identification purposes only. Blade 1 was missing its counterweight, was bent aft slightly, and exhibited overstress signatures. The leading edge exhibited some light gouging and the cambered side exhibited chordwise scrapes and paint erosion. Blade 2 exhibited a small twist toward low pitch, paint erosion on the cambered side and leading edge gouges. The counterweight remained attached to the blade shank. Blade 3 was missing its counterweight, showed signs of overstress, and exhibited light chordwise paint erosion aft of the deice boot but was otherwise unremarkable.

The right engine was separated from the airframe and was identified based on the data plate and the maintenance records. The crankshaft was fractured at the nose oil seal and the propeller flange remained attached to the propeller hub. The crankshaft fracture surface displayed tearing, shear lips, and discoloration consistent with an overstress separation on impact. The engine sustained thermal damage.

The left magneto was separated from the engine and the ignition leads were separated from the harness cap. The right magneto remained in place and did not rotate with manual manipulation of the housing. The ignition harness remained secured to the right magneto and each terminal remained secured to their respective sparkplugs. The left magneto harness cap was removed and replaced with the right ignition harness cap from the left engine. Rotation of the drive shaft resulted in a spark from each lead in firing order during the audible snap of the impulse coupling. The right magneto was removed and the thermally damaged leads were cut near the harness cap. The magneto produced a spark from each of its leads in firing order when the drive shaft was manually rotated and the impulse coupling snapped.

The top sparkplugs were removed from the cylinders and all displayed a normal worn condition with no signs of lead or carbon fouling. The bottom sparkplugs were examined via a lighted borescope with no preimpact anomalies noted. The engine-driven fuel pump was separated from the engine; the mounting flange and drive coupling were displaced to one side and the metal was smeared in the same direction. The fuel manifold valve screen was free of obstructions and residual fuel was observed in the housing.

The cylinders remained attached to the crankcase with no external signs of operational distress. The cylinder rocker covers were removed and all of the valve springs remained intact. The cylinders were inspected and documented utilizing a lighted borescope. The pistons, valves, and valve seats were unremarkable. A tool was fitted to the backside of the crankshaft and partial crankshaft rotation was achieved, with continuity confirmed to the front of the engine and to the connecting rods. Impingements on the crankshaft and camshaft were noted at the front of the crankcase and the oil sump, respectively, which prevented full crankshaft rotation. The exhaust riser system was deformed forward on the aft end of the engine.

The right propeller hub remained intact and the spinner dome was crushed aft over the hub. All three blades remained attached to the hub, but they were free to rotate in the hub, indicative of pitch change link fractures. The blades were labeled 1, 2, and 3 according to their hub location and for identification purposes only. Blade 1 was missing its counterweight, was bent aft slightly, and exhibited overstress signatures. The leading edge exhibited gouging and the cambered and face sides displayed chordwise scrapes and paint erosion. Blade 2 exhibited a small twist toward low pitch, paint erosion on the cambered side, and light leading edge gouges. Blade 3 was missing its counterweight and exhibited overstress signatures. The blade exhibited light chordwise paint erosion aft of the deice boot, but was otherwise unremarkable. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Office of the District Medical Examiner, 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Winter Haven, Florida, completed an autopsy on the pilot, which attributed the cause of death to blunt impact. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicology testing, which revealed 20 mg/dL of ethanol in muscle, ibuprofen in the muscle, and no ethanol detected in the kidney. The toxicology samples exhibited putrefaction.

Ibuprofen is in a class of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and are not considered impairing.

After absorption, ethanol is uniformly distributed throughout all tissues and body fluids; therefore, the finding in one tissue but not another is most consistent with post-mortem production.

Tests And Research

Weight and balance

The airplane's maximum gross takeoff weight was 6,390 lbs. The weight at the time of the accident takeoff was about 6,495 lbs, about 105 lbs over the maximum takeoff weight (figure 2). Due to the excessive weight, the airplane was outside of its center of gravity moment envelope (figure 3).


Figure 2 – Calculated Weight and Balance

Figure 3 – Center of Gravity Moment Envelope 

Additional Information

Spatial Disorientation

According to FAA Safety Team literature, pilots flying under both instrument and visual flight rules are subject to spatial disorientation and optical illusions that may cause a loss of aircraft control. Sight, supported by other senses, allows a pilot to maintain orientation while flying. However, when visibility is restricted (i.e., no visual reference to the horizon or surface detected) the body's supporting senses can conflict with what is seen. When this spatial disorientation occurs, sensory conflicts and optical illusions often make it difficult for a pilot to tell which way is up.

Contributing to these phenomena are the various types of sensory stimuli: visual, vestibular (organs of equilibrium located in the inner ear), and proprioceptive (receptors located in the skin, muscles, tendons and joints). Changes in linear acceleration, angular acceleration, and gravity are detected by the vestibular system and the proprioceptive receptors, and then compared in the brain with visual information.

In a flight environment, these stimuli can vary in magnitude, direction, and frequency, resulting in a sensory mismatch that can produce illusions and lead to spatial disorientation.

John Shannon (left) with his plane.


John Shannon, Olivia Anne Shannon, Krista Clayton, Victoria Shannon Worthington and Peter Worthington, Jr.



LAKELAND -- There will be two memorial services for the five people who died in a plane crash on Christmas Eve at the Bartow Municipal Airport.

Both services will be held on January 6th

1st service at 10:30 a.m. for pilot, daughters, daughter's husband

2nd service at 4 p.m. for family friend Krista Clayton

Both services will be held on January 6th, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lakeland where four of the five people who died in the crash attended.

The first service will be held at 10:30 a.m., honoring the lives of the pilot, John Shannon and his daughters, Olivia and Tori, and Tori’s husband, Peter Worthington Jr.

The second service will be held at 4 p.m. at the church for family friend Krista Clayton, who also died in the crash.

BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — A medical examiner in Polk County performed autopsies Wednesday on the five victims who died in a Christmas Eve plane crash in Bartow.

The examiner ruled that 24-year-old Olivia Shannon, 26-year-old Victoria Shannon-Worthington, 27-year-old Peter Worthington and 32-year-old Krista Clayton died from blunt force trauma. The medical examiner says all four passengers’ manners of death were ruled accidental.

The cause of death for the pilot, 70-year-old John Shannon, has not been released pending a toxicology report.

Deputies say all five were killed when the small plane they were on crashed shortly after taking off from the Bartow Municipal Airport Sunday morning. The group was planning on spending Christmas Eve in Key West and was expected to return Sunday night.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says he believes it was too foggy to take off. Visibility in the area was near-zero at the time.

Federal Aviation Administration records show that John Shannon was instrument rated, which means he was trained to fly without seeing the horizon, relying only on the instruments on-board if needed.

Investigators are still trying to figure out why the plane went down.

Story and photos:  http://wfla.com



Visibility just after 7 a.m. Sunday, December 24, 2017 at the Bartow Airport at the time of a plane crash was less than a quarter-mile because of fog. 


Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don't know about what caused a plane crash in Bartow on Christmas Eve that killed all five people on board, four were from the same family. 

Almost immediately after the crash, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the heavy fog over the area during take-off was likely a factor. Around the time of the crash, a National Weather Service observation reported visibility at the Bartow airport to be less than a quarter-mile because of fog.

But in the days since, several friends of the pilot, prominent Lakeland lawyer John Shannon, have told 10News they believe something else must've happened.

Ron Pennekamp, the senior pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Lakeland and a close friend of Shannon's, called the 70-year-old a "master pilot," adding that he'd even flown with him on one occasion during which he landed in heavy fog.

"I don’t think it's fog, honestly, I really don’t," Pennekamp told 10News on Monday. "I don’t think he would’ve taken off if he thought he would put his family in jeopardy.”

It's now up to the NTSB and FAA to determine what caused the crash.

In the video, watch 10News reporter Josh Sidorowicz hop into a flight simulator at the Sim Center in Clearwater with a commercial pilot and 10News aviation expert Mark Weinkrantz to learn how pilots operate in low visibility conditions.

With the simulator set to the Bartow Municipal Airport and the level of visibility just as it was at the time of the crash—less than a quarter-mile—Weinkrantz noted it's nearly impossible to see just a few hundred feet ahead from the cockpit.

"You can’t see your hand in front of your face," he said. "We can take off in commercial airlines with just a few hundred feet of runway visible because we have much more sophisticated instruments in the cockpit and runways up to a higher specification for guidance.” 

Even for an instrument-rated pilot, Weinkrantz said, the instruments are really for flying in the sky, not take-off.

Weinkrantz also noted the lack of center-line lighting down the middle of the runway at the Bartow airport and the lack of lighting at the end of the runway. The lighting, he says, can help a pilot maintain directional control.

It's possible, Weinkrantz said, that because Shannon couldn't gauge where he was in relation to the end of the runway, he might've pulled up too quickly, which would've changed the pitch of the plane too dramatically, causing it to fall back down.

"Bartow is not that sophisticated of an airport," Weinkrantz said. "As you’re going faster and faster, you might only be able to see one or two lights right out ahead of you, but without those lights, you’re hoping to see those white stripes in a gray sky and that’s hard to do.”

According to data from the National Weather Service, 440 people on average are killed each year in plane crashes due to weather conditions like fog.  According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, most general aviation accidents involve some kind of pilot error and while there are many factors that can contribute to this, bad weather is the number one culprit, the New York Times previously reported.

Story and video   http://www.wtsp.com



Krista Clayton,  daughters, Lila (age 3)  and Lucy (18 months).

The family of Krista Clayton is hoping to raise money to pay for funeral costs and a memorial service: https://www.gofundme.com


Krista Kathleen Clayton
August 13, 1985 ~ December 24, 2017 (age 32)

Krista Clayton passed away on Christmas Eve in a tragic accident when a plane carrying herself and four friends crashed in Bartow, Florida. She was 32 years old.

Krista was born in Westerly, Rhode Island and raised in nearby Charlestown. She attended the University of Rhode Island where she double-majored in secondary education and communications, and from which she graduated with honors. During and after high school she made friends in her many extracurricular activities, which included mentoring, tutoring, coaching, with participation in track and field, soccer, and basketball. She worked as an elementary and secondary school teacher in both Rhode Island and Florida, most recently at Jewett Academy, where she demonstrated by untiring example her commitment to her students' education and to improving their lives overall. 

She loved to travel and relished every opportunity to do so; this love guided her across the globe. She studied abroad in Oxford, England, toured Europe, and in addition to visiting nearly every country in Southeast Asia she taught English in South Korea. In all of these places, and wherever she went, she had a knack for quickly acquiring lifelong friends. The lessons she learned from her travels were in turn imparted to her students. 

From the moment they were born, Krista's two daughters, Lila, aged 3 years, and Lucy, 18 months, were the twin stars of her life. Every second was dedicated to them, and she found endless joy in teaching them, reading to them, taking them to the park, and encouraging their creativity in arts and crafts.

Hers was an undiminished optimism, a giving nature, and an incandescent spirit with enthusiasm for life in its every variety. Krista touched the hearts of all who met her. She will be sorely missed.

Krista is survived by Lucy and Lila Rachlin; her parents, Susan and Phillip Clayton; her five siblings, Phillip, Matthew, Bonnie, Mary Grace and Michael; and her fiancé, Marc.

There will be a service held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lakeland, Florida on January 6th at 4:00 p.m., followed by a celebration of life at a venue as yet to be determined. There will also be a memorial mass for Krista at St. Vincent De Paul Church in Westerly, Rhode Island on January 13th at 10:00 a.m., followed by a celebration of life at a venue as yet to be determined. Please revisit this page for updates as more details are solidified.

Read more here ➤ http://www.lakelandfuneralhome.com

Pilot John Shannon, 70, and his two daughters Victoria, 26, and 
Olivia, 24



A 70-year-old Lakeland attorney killed in a small plane crash on Christmas Eve is remembered as kind and enthusiastic.

John Shannon was piloting a Cessna 340 when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff at Bartow Municipal Airport in Polk County.

“He was one of the really nice guys and everybody liked him … he was very popular,” said Lydia Lowell-Sherman, a former Fort Myers High School classmate.

Shannon received his pilot license while attending Fort Myers High School in 1965.

Shannon’s passengers included his two daughters, his son-in-law and a family friend, according to the Associated Press.

They were identified as: 24-year-old Southeastern University student Olivia Shannon, 26-year-old Baltimore teacher Victoria Shannon Worthington, 27-year-old University of Maryland law student Peter Worthington Jr. and 32-year-old Lakeland teacher Krista Clayton.

The family was headed to the Florida Keys for the Christmas holiday.

“This is just such a tragedy. It’s just awful,” Lowell-Sherman said.

Investigators believe fog played a role in the crash, but those who knew Shannon say he would have never put the lives of his family in danger.

“As long as John was flying, pilot errors to me sound just a little iffy, because he really seemed to know what he was doing with the plane and everything,” Lowell-Sherman said.

Shannon’s brother, Jerry Shannon, was vacationing in Montana when the crash took place.

“Those little girls were just starting life, that’s a huge tragic loss they’re gone so early,” Jerry Shannon said.

Story and photos ➤ https://www.winknews.com

John Hugh Shannon, 70, a Lakeland Co. attorney was killed in a Sunday morning plane crash at Bartow Municipal Airport. Also killed were two of his daughters, his son-in-law and a family friend.
Credit johnhughshannon.com/


LAKELAND, Fla. – Pastor Ron Pennekamp not only considered John Shannon a personal friend, he watched his two daughters grow up in the church, presided over the wedding of one, and mentored their close family friend who was also a parishioner at the same church.

Shannon, his daughters, son-in-law, and family friend were all killed when the Cessna 340 twin-engine plane Shannon was piloting crashed Christmas Eve morning shortly after taking off from the Bartow Municipal Airport.

"You get news like that and the first thing you think is 'it cant be true, you must be talking about someone else,'" Pennekamp said as he sat in an empty sanctuary on Christmas morning filled with grief.

Pennekamp is the senior pastor at St. Paul Lutheran in Lakeland where Shannon, his two daughters, and close friend Krista Clayton attended.

"He was more than just a parishioner, he was a personal friend," Pennekamp said of their 13 year friendship, admiring Shannon's commitment to not only those he knew in the church but outside of it in the community.

"He would talk to people, find out what was going on, and he always influence and that’s really the mark of a good leader.

Olivia Shannon, 24, a student at Southeastern University and Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, a school teacher in Baltimore, grew up in the church, Pennekamp said.

"I’ve never seen a father more committed to his kids," he said. "The kids took priority."

Just a few months ago, Shannon asked Pennekamp to preside for his daughter Victoria's wedding. She married Peter Worthington, a law student, in Baltimore.

This would've been their first Christmas together as a married couple.

"It was a fantastic wedding, a lot of joy," Pennekamp said. "That’s probably the hardest thing about thinking about this is just the dreams that were there for Pete and for Tori and all those things are going unrealized."

While he adored his family, Pennekamp was just as familiar with Shannon's love of flying, having been a passenger of his on several occasions.

"He’s a master pilot and I’ve flown through fog with John, he’s instrument-rated," Pennekamp said, recalling one particular instance when they two returned from having dinner in Valrico.

"He turned on his instruments, turned on his landing lights and we came out of the fog just above the ground and we were right on target. So I don’t think its fog, honestly I really don’t. I don’t think he would’ve taken off if he thought he would put his family in jeopardy.”

Close family friend Krista Clayton was also on board. Pennekamp says he's been in regular contact with Clayton's finance and two young daughters, even opting to spend Christmas Eve with them rather than attending mass.

They, like so many others now, are working through shock to find peace.

"We’re going to mourn but we’re not going to mourn without hope," Pennekamp said

Story and video:  http://www.wtsp.com


BARTOW (FOX 13) - John Shannon was a Marine Corp veteran and ran an independent law firm in Lakeland for the last 36-years.  The 70-year-old was an accomplished pilot, very active with the Citrus Center Kiwanis Club, and the President of the Lakeland Republican Club.

On their Facebook page, RCL posted:

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of our organization's president, John Shannon, who died in a small plane crash at Bartow Airport early this morning. John, his two daughters, one son-in-law and a family friend were are all killed during takeoff on their way to spend the day in the Florida Keys. John was looking forward to serving as our president again in 2018, and had already scheduled several of the speakers for our first few meetings of the new year. We are deeply saddened by John's loss, and hope that you will join us in extending your thoughts and prayers to all of the Shannon family's friends, associates and family. Rest in peace, John, you will be greatly missed.

Governor Rick Scott also reacted to the news, tweeting
@FLAnnScott and I are heartbroken to hear of this tragedy. We are praying for the Shannon, Worthington, and Clayton families.

“All of them, everyone who was on that plane was a member here,” said Associate Pastor Andy Ritchie with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lakeland. 

At Christmas Eve mass, the holiday joy was mixed with heartache. 

Ritchie fondly talks to FOX 13 News about how Shannon was known for his baking, his kindness and his skills in the courtroom. 

“He was always 100 M.P.H, go, go, go, but very positive and very uplifting,” he said. 

In 2014, Shannon ran for the Florida House of Representatives.  In a campaign ad posted on YouTube he talks about his children.  “What I’m most proud of are the daughters that I’ve raised on my own.” 

According to Olivia Shannon’s Facebook page, the 24-year-old attended Southeastern University. 

26-year-old Victoria Shannon-Worthington lived in Baltimore teaching fourth grade language arts in the city.  She was married to Peter Worthington Jr.  On his Facebook page, the 27-year old says he was a law student at the University of Maryland.  This would have been Peter and Victoria’s first Christmas as a married couple.

Family friend, Krista Clayton was also killed in the crash.  The 32-year-old worked at the Jewett School for the Arts in Winter Haven.  On the website, Clayton is listed as teaching elementary gifted. 

The Lakeland woman leaves behind a husband and their two children, an 18-month-old and a 3-year-old. 

“She has a daughter who has some special health concerns,” said Ritchie.  “I always just saw her as an extremely loving mom, very much into the day to day in and outs of life.”

Story and photos ➤  http://www.fox13news.com

 Victoria Shannon Worthington and Peter Worthington, Jr.

BARTOW — A twin-engine Cessna 340 crashed shortly after take-off Sunday morning at Bartow Municipal Airport, killing the pilot, local attorney John Hugh Shannon, and four others, authorities said.

The other victims: his daughters, Olivia Shannon, 24, a student at Southeastern University and Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, a schoolteacher for the Baltimore school district; Worthington’s husband, Peter Worthington, 27, a law student at University of Maryland; and family friend Krista Clayton, 32, teacher at Jewett School of the Arts. She has two children, an 18-month-old and 3-year-old.

The plane took off at approximately 7:15 a.m. on the main runway in dense fog and was airborne for a short time before it plummeted to the ground at the north end of the airport near Ben Durrance Road, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

The plane burst into flames on impact, he said. “The only thing you can say is, nobody suffered.”

It’s too early in the investigation to know if weather was a factor in the crash, Judd said, adding, “Nobody should have attempted to take off” in such conditions.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have been notified and will investigate how the crash occurred.

A flight plan filed by the pilot indicated the Cessna was headed for Key West, said Cindy Barrow, executive director of the Bartow Airport.

The crash has shut down the airport’s main runway, leaving two runways open.

Autopsies will be conducted later this week to positively identify the victims and determine the exact nature of their deaths, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Shannon, 70, was well-known in Polk, having practiced law since 1975, primarily in the area of personal injury and death. In 2014, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 40, losing to Colleen Burton in the Republican primary.

Retired Polk Circuit Judge Charles Curry said news of his former law partner’s death came as a shock.

“He was a heck of an attorney and a good guy,” he said. “I’ll certainly miss him.”

John Liguori, a friend of John Shannon’s and a fellow lawyer, said Shannon was a skilled pilot who talked recently of flying to the Keys to spend Christmas with two of his three daughters.

“He was looking forward to taking everybody down there, he loved to fly,” Liguori said. “That’s a serious plane. You’ve got to be a serious pilot to fly those.”

Liguori remembered Shannon as a hard-charging lawyer and former Marine who was sentimental enough to bake cookies as Christmas presents.

“He was quite a character, he was one of those guys that shouted at the devil,” Liguori said. “He was a Marine, and he practiced (law) as if he was still in the Marine Corps.”

John Shannon served as current president of Citrus Center Kiwanis and had a heart for his community, Joe Childs, a past president of the Kiwanis club, said in an email. “John was an accomplished pilot, loved his family and served his church and community in a variety of ways. He will be deeply missed.”

The entire 10th Judicial Circuit has lost a “big brother” in Shannon, said Rusty Franklin, a Bartow lawyer. “God, family, country, community ... those things were more important to John. He was a Marine and a patriot. This just rips your heart out. I’m ready for this year to be over with.”

Southeastern University spokeswoman Dana Davis said the school community was saddened by the sudden death of Olivia Shannon. “Our entire Southeastern community is saddened by the news and we’re praying for her family.”

Olivia Shannon was in her junior year at Southeastern, studying to be a teacher.

“She had the promise of being an exceptional teacher,” said Karen Ingle, Shannon’s instructor and wife of Kent Ingle, the university’s president. “She took her lessons seriously. She embraced learning. I was just shocked (to learn of her death). She will be missed.”

Story and photos ➤ http://www.theledger.com


BARTOW, Fla. — A Florida lawyer and four others were killed at sunrise Christmas Eve in a plane crash in dense fog.

John Shannon, 70, of Lakeland, Fla., was piloting a twin-engine Cessna 340 that went down just after takeoff around 7:15 a.m. ET Sunday from Bartow Municipal Airport about 50 miles southwest of Orlando, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

The plane caught fire after the crash and was fully involved by the time rescue crews arrived, Tina Mann, Polk County Fire Rescue spokeswoman, said in a statement.

"There was no chance of survival," Judd said. "When you look at the crash, the only thing that you say is, 'Nobody suffered.' "

Shannon was making a 45- to 60-minute flight for day trip to the Florida Keys, the sheriff said. Also killed were his two daughters, Olivia Shannon, 24, a student at Southeastern University in Lakeland, and Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, a Baltimore teacher; his son-in-law, Peter Worthington, 27, a University of Maryland law student; and a family friend, Krista Clayton, 32, a teacher in Lakeland.

The Worthingtons had arrived Saturday in Florida for the Christmas holiday, and John Shannon had filed a flight plan to go to Key West, said Carrie Horstman, a sheriff's office spokeswoman. No family members were able to be reached for comment.

“This is a tragedy at any time, but it is so much worse because it happened on Christmas Eve,” Judd said.

John Shannon, who graduated in 1975 from Samford University school of law in Homewood, Ala., had been a member of the Florida Bar since 1975, according to state records. The Republican ran for state representative in 2014, but lost in the primary to Colleen Burton, who still holds the office.

He had a private pilot's license since Oct. 4, 2010, with an instrument rating that allows a pilot to fly solely by referring to flight instruments in clouds or low visibility, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

Around the time of the crash, a National Weather Service observer reported visibility at the Bartow airport to be less than a quarter mile because of fog.

A photographer who was trying to capture the fog at sunrise was recording video that shows the crash, Judd said.

"He said, 'I couldn't believe that they were taking off in this fog,' " the sheriff said. "There was not one sign of the aircraft that was, obviously, was soaked in a very dense, very heavy fog at the airbase." Barstow airport is the former Barstow U.S. Air Force base that closed in 1961.

The private plane crashed just north of the airport toward the end of a runway. It left the hangar at 6:30 a.m., before the sun rose, and took off east into heavy fog, Judd said.

"Our heart breaks," Judd said. "You know, certainly, we wish we could rewind this and if we could, I would wrestle him to the floor to keep him from getting into this airplane this morning," Judd said.

Last year 386 people were killed in 213 fatal general aviation accidents, an average of fewer than two per crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Fewer than 10% of these types of plane crashes result in four or more deaths.

General aviation excludes commercial flights and civilian air transport for hire and often involves planes with fewer than 10 seats.

More than 9 in 10 plane-crash deaths occur in general-aviation accidents, according to the NTSB. Although the number of general-aviation deaths increased slightly from 2015 to 2016, the number of fatal accidents was down by nearly 20, so the fatal accident rate fell lower than 1 per 100,000 flight hours for the first time in 50 years.

But traffic accidents account for far more transportation deaths, 95% of total transportation deaths, the agency said. In 2016, highway deaths totaled 39,339, up more than 5% from the previous year.

In Florida, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating Sunday's plane crash.

Original article can be found here ➤  https://www.wkyc.com


Lakeland attorney John Shannon and his two daughters were among five people killed in the crash of a twin-engine plane at the Bartow Municipal Airport Sunday morning.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Cessna 340 crashed at the end of a runway near Ben Durrance Road, about 7:15 a.m.. Officials say the plane was starting to take off in fog that provided little or no visibility.  

Witnesses said a large fire erupted at the end of the runway when the plane crashed.  There were no survivors.

"When you look at the crash, the only thing you can say is that nobody suffered," Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said. It's believed all the victims died on impact or immediately afterwards.

At a Sunday afternoon news conference, Judd announced that the crash killed the pilot, Shannon, 70; his daughters, Olivia Shannon, 24, a student at Southeastern University in Lakeland; Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, a school teacher in Baltimore, MD; her husband, Peter Worthington, 27, a law student at the University of Maryland; and family friend, Krista Clayton, 32, a teacher in Polk County. 

Clayton leaves behind two children, a three-year-old and an 18-month-old. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Shannon, Worthington, and Clayton families. This is a tragedy any time, but it is so much worse because it happened on Christmas Eve. We are providing all of our resources to assist them with anything they need to help them get through this horrific tragedy."

Judd said he has personally known John Shannon, the President of the Republican Club of Lakeland, for years. Shannon had filed a flight plan this morning to fly to Key West for an apparent Christmas Eve day trip.

Judd said an airport employee captured video of the plane taking off. The employee was reportedly taking photos of the thick fog at the airport at the time. 

The airport, which was once a U.S. Air Force Base known as Bartow Air Base, is located off of U.S. Highway 17 near Spirit Lake Road.

Story and photo ➤ http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu



Five people died after a twin-engine plane trying to take off in heavy fog crashed at the end of a runway at an airport in Central Florida, causing a "huge fire," authorities said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said there were "no survivors" of the crash at Bartow Municipal Airport in Bartow, Florida.

"I have reviewed some footage, and clearly no one should have tried to a takeoff from this airport at 7:15 this morning," Judd said during a press conference this morning. "The airport was totally socked in with fog."

In a statement, officials tentatively identified the five killed as: John Shannon, 70, the plane's pilot; Shannon's daughters, Olivia Shannon, 24, and Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26; Worthington's husband, Peter Worthington Jr., 27; and family friend Krista Clayton, 32.

Autopsies will be conducted later this week to determine the official causes of death.

Judd called the crash "a horrific tragedy" in a statement Sunday afternoon.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Shannon, Worthington, and Clayton families. This is a tragedy any time, but it is so much worse because it happened on Christmas Eve. We are providing all of our resources to assist them with anything they need to help them get through this horrific tragedy," the statement reads.

Judd said earlier that he personally knew at least one person on the plane.

"I have known him for years and years and years," he said.

The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the crash.

As Polk County Fire and Rescue personnel headed to the crash site they had trouble spotting the wreckage, according to radio transcriptions reviewed by ABC News.

In one dispatch, a firefighter described the limited visibility.

"Engine 461, Battalion 4, we're on scene now at the air base ... it's really foggy. We're unable to see it from our location, I'm going to try to make it out onto the airfield," the first responder radioed.

Once Polk County Fire and Rescue members found the plane wreckage, they reported the plane was "fully engulfed" in flames.

The airport once served as the Bartow Army Air Field during World War II, according to its museum's website.

After the war, the complex functioned as a "flight school training cadets for military service" before it was turned over to the city of Bartow, the website says.

Story and photo ➤  http://abc7ny.com


Four people died after a twin-engine plane trying to take off in heavy fog crashed at the end of a runway at an airport in central Florida, causing a "huge fire", authorities said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said there were "no survivors" of the crash at Bartow Municipal Airport in Bartow, Florida. His office said in an earlier statement that "there are several deaths."

The FAA said in a statement that four people were on board the Cessna 340 plane when it crashed Sunday morning.

"I have reviewed some footage, and clearly no one should have tried to a takeoff from this airport at 7:15 this morning," Judd said during a press conference this morning. "The airport was totally socked in with fog."

The identities of those on the plane will be released later, the sheriff said, adding that he personally knows at least one person on the plane.

"I have known him for years and years and years," he said.

The NTSB is investigating the crash, and Judd said his officers were assisted in their response by the county fire department.

"We were assisted by Polk Fire Rescue, which put out the fire. We know upon impact that there was a huge fire,” the sheriff said.

Judd added, "I am not a plane crash investigator but from all indications the plane was in the air and came back to the ground. And no there was no survivors, no chance of anyone surviving.”

As Polk County Fire and Rescue personnel headed to the crash site they had trouble spotting the wreckage, according to radio transcriptions reviewed by ABC News.

In one dispatch, a firefighter described the limited visibility.

"Engine 461, Battalion 4, we're on scene now at the air base... it's really foggy. We're unable to see it from our location, I'm going to try to make it out onto the airfield," the responder radioed.

Another dispatch also discussed the foggy conditions.

"I do see Polk County Fire units, unfortunately on the runway the fog is so low we can't see anything on the runway and are investigating and we did not see or come across any pilots or planes on the runway at this time," the transcription said.

Once Polk County Fire and Rescue member found the plane wreckage, the plane was "fully engulfed."

In one Polk County Sheriff's Office tweet, the sheriff asked for the community to remember the victims.

"This is an absolutely horrific tragedy, especially on Christmas Eve. Please keep these victims and their family members are in your prayers."

The airport once served as the Bartow Army Air Field during World War II, according to its museum's website.

After the war, the complex functioned as a "flight school training cadets for military service" before it was turned over to the city of Bartow, the website says.


Story and photos ➤ http://abcnews.go.com





BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — Authorities say five people died when a small plane crashed shortly after taking off in heavy fog at Bartow Municipal Airport on Christmas Eve morning.

A Polk County Fire Rescue spokesperson said five people were killed in the twin-engine plane crash.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd -who knows a person who died in the crash-  refused to release details about how many people were killed and said the victims have not yet been identified.

Judd said the plane crashed at the end of the airport’s main runway at 7:15 a.m. after attempting to take off in heavy fog.

“Clearly, no one should have tried a takeoff,” said Judd.

Judd said that a helicopter pilot with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office happened to be in a nearby hangar and heard the plane starting to take off and then heard the plane crash to the ground.

“This is a very sad situation,” said Judd and added that he knew one person on the plane.

Judd speculated that the people on the plane were leaving to attend a holiday celebration.

“It is a tragedy any day of the week. It is an exceptional tragedy on Christmas Eve,” said Judd. “Our hearts go out to the family.”

He said a video exists that shows the plane crashing. Judd said he watched the video and it clearly indicated that no one should have been flying.

“There was no chance of survival,” Judd said. The plane caught fire after crashing. “The only thing you can say is nobody suffered.”

WFLA Storm Team Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth said around the time of the crash, weather data at the airport was reporting zero visibility of less than 300 feet because of the fog. The weather data is from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) which is located at the airport.  The Tampa Bay area was under a dense fog advisory until 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters with Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene. Firefighters were dispatched at 7:18 a.m.. They had to drive carefully to the scene because of dense fog in the area. Firefighters arrived on scene at 7:31 a.m. and had the fire under control at 7:44 a.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that the plane was a Cessna 340.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the death investigation. Once local authorities release the names and conditions of those on board, the Federal Aviation Administration will release the aircraft registration information.

The Bartow Municipal Airport is the former location of a U.S. Air Force Base and is also referred to as the Bartow Air Base. It is located just off of US 17 near Spirit Lake Road.

The cash happened near the PCSO Aviation Unit Hangar, which is on Ben Durrance Road. The Polk County Mosquito Control Office is also nearby.

WFLA Storm Team Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth said around the time of the crash, weather data at the airport was reporting zero visibility because of the fog. The weather data is from the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) which is located at the airport.  The Tampa Bay area was under a dense fog advisory until 9 a.m.



Story and video ➤ http://wfla.com







BARTOW, Fla. -- Investigators likely will consider dense fog as a contributing factor for a plane crash at Polk County's Bartow Municipal Airport that killed four people.

The twin-engine plane went down just after takeoff around 7:15 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, Sheriff Grady Judd said, with emergency operators receiving a call minutes later.

Around the time of the crash, a National Weather Service observation reported visibility at the Bartow airport to be less than a quarter-mile because of fog.

"There was no chance of survival," Judd said. "When you look at the crash, the only thing that you say is, nobody suffered."

An emotional Judd said he was able to review video footage of the crash. He told reporters he personally knew of at least one person onboard.

"Our heart breaks. You know, certainly we wish we could rewind this and if we could, I would wrestle him to the floor to keep him from getting into this airplane this morning," Judd said.

The Polk County fire dispatch earlier confirmed four people were killed, but Judd would not validate that figure.

The plane crashed just north of the airport toward the end of a runway near Ben Durrance Road.

























Polk County Sheriff's Office · This Christmas Eve morning, we were prepared to upload photos of our agency members buying & wrapping donated gifts & toys to deliver to kids all over the county, which took place all week. Instead, we regret to inform you that we are on the scene of a twin-engine plane crash at the Bartow Airbase, with several deaths. We will conduct the death investigations. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, who are enroute, will investigate the cause of the crash. Polk County Fire Rescue is also on the scene. 

We don't have a lot of information to release at this time, but please join us in praying for these victims and their families.


Be safe, everyone.

60 comments:

  1. It’s just insane. Who would fly when it’s 0/0 vis?
    Anyone wanna take bets that the pilot wasn’t instrument rated?

    ReplyDelete


  2. Looks like if they had only waited a bit the wx would have been fine.

    Families are grieving now.

    Lets learn not to repeat the same mistake.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a fairly new pilot (2+ years) and working on my instrument rating. My late father who was also a pilot told me years ago, there are old pilots & there are bold pilots but there are NO old,bold pilots. Only if they just would have waited a few hours until the fog burned off. Haste makes waste, SO SAD. R.I.P.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 0 0 takeoffs are done, but better left to the highly trained, very high risk at the least even for the pro, no room for error

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tragic beyond belief. Aircraft was about 37 years old, airworthy but an old piece of tin. When was last time pilot practiced ITO under hood or in simulator? When was last time pilot practiced engine loss at rotation under hood? When was last BFR that covered pilot judgment and decision making? There's a reason part 121 and 135 operators have takeoff minima...it's dangerous. The FAA should email part 91 pilots and strongly discourage ITOs. At the end of the day, the pilot killed himself and his family and we send our condolences. RIP

    ReplyDelete

  6. As a pilot, every time something like this happens I have to ask myself what was the hurry? What exactly was it that was so damn important that it couldn't wait another three hours?
    They were headed to Key West, it was one a one hour flight in a Cessna 340.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My Family Owned 2 CE340's. We operated alot from Meigs Field, KCGX. There is a lot of fog on the Chicago lakefront, and we departed IFR more than once when in legal but low vis It was never comfortable, and even being an ATP/CFII i would have had a hard time if an engine quit just off the runway....i would never do it that way again, especially with Family aboard. I was in my 20's then and you feel invincible at that age...but a 70 yr pilot should have known that that type of departure was suicide. And with his family. Terrible tragedy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes the pilot was instrument rated. You can search the FAA Airmen records to see his rating.

    The plane appears that it is N247AT based at KBOW. It is registered to AVIATION TRANSPORTATION LLC and the address is 5115 S LAKELAND DR STE 1, Lakeland, FL which is the address for Shannon's law firm. The C340 is a 1973 model and 44 years old; however depending on maintenance and current installed avionics it is probably a very capable high performance IFR airplane when flown within its design envelope.

    FlightAware shows the last filed flight to have been October 1, 2017. No telling when he last flew hard IFR on takeoff or landing. Experience under the hood or in a simulator is of course required to be current, however nothing substitutes for the real experience, especially when something unexpected happens such as loss of avionics, instruments, engine, door opening, bird strike, etc. He got his pilot license in 2010 and when you combine it with his political and legal pursuits it doesn't seem likely that he was very high time.

    Also no-one has highlighted that he was 70 years old so there is always a health aspect in a stressful situation.

    Zero Zero takeoffs are certainly possible but the risks are high. Taking personal risk is one thing but exposing personal risk to others is another. If you web search his law firm you see that he is a Personal Injury Attorney. It is likely that he has mercilessly sued countless individuals for restitution caused by claimed negligence related to risking others health or lives. Bizarrely in this case it appears that he took the same risk himself. I suspect other Personal Injury Attorneys representing the families of the in-law and other non-family member are already circling like buzzards. Sad outcome for what is left of his family.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another murder suicide by a person successful in their field of expertise that think they can be as good as us in our field. Pisses me off this guy killed his family and sadden his close friends and family while tarnishing my profession. The cause on the news is “fog” but the cause should be a dumbass pilot.
    KBOW 241215Z AUTO 00000KT M1/4SM FG OVC003 23/16 A3018 RMK AO2
    He got his private in 2010 and was multi rated IFR but I doubt IFR current.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Obviously some goitis involved with 0/0, but if a pilot needs to return and land, that may have been impossible even on instruments. Once up, it's just another IMC flight and with VFR on top only minutes away. Condolences to family and friends.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It was NOT 0/0 it was 1/4 miles fog and overcast at 300 feet agl. This is a doable takeoff on the proper runway with the proper lighting in the proper aircraft with the proper training and RECENCY. Of which non of those necessary proper items happened so it’s 100% stupid and I would not have taken off in that situation. I do takeoffs with 500/500/500 when it is proper, that’s 500 feet runway visibility. My limit as someone current and qualified, in this case, I would have waited until I had a mile take off visibility and the ceiling to make an approach back into the field.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I live in the Cleveland area, unfortunately remember all too well the Columbus business owner that tried taking off at Burke Lakefront last year in snow/ice conditions at night, straight over Lake Erie, same result as this gentleman.

    At some point, the FAA is going to have to create more regulations to keep folks like this from killing their families and potentially other families on the ground.

    How many times do stories like this need to repeat themselves with the wealthy “I’m smarter than everyone else” pilots. I know it’s judgemental, but damn...needs to stop at some point.

    Ever read about the Doctor from Michigan that killed 2 different wives, and put 1 of his sons through 2 different crashes? Horribly sad.

    I know it’s always hard creating regulations to save people from themselves. However, will probably get worse before it gets better IMO - if nothing is done.

    ReplyDelete


  13. Sheriff Judd said it best, "I would've wrestled this man to the floor to keep him out of that airplane". If only someone could've talked some sense into him. What was the hurry to get to Key West? An appointment? A reservation? A friend waiting? None of this is worth the risk yet this scenario plays out again and again. I had much rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air than in the air wishing I was on the ground and I believe this was the last thought of Mr. Shannon.

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  14. I don’t understaand how it’s too foggy for a take off and yet have video of the crash. And then with videdo there is a sound recording, fog or no fog. But no mention of sounds of engine trouble. It will be interesting to read the final NTSB report on this one when it comes out next year.

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  15. "The acceleration of the aircraft can cause a somatogravic illusion that you are more nose up than it seems." Properly trained instrument pilots should be very aware of the somatogravic illusion. Considering the aircraft crashed on the airport property this effect is a definite possible contributing cause, among others. Remember accidents are not usually caused by only one thing. Break the chain, stop the accident.

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  16. Intentionally put himself and passengers in danger?
    Totally against the character of the pilot?
    The pilot knew better than to depart in those conditions?
    Was the pilot safety conscious?
    GREAT willingness to take risks?
    GREAT confidence in his flight skills?
    EXTREME reduced sense of vulnerability to fog hazards and pilot error?
    Social pressures for the holiday trip to Key West?
    Pilot took chances and didn't wait for weather to improve?

    "I would've wrestled this man to the floor to keep him out of that airplane"

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  17. “John Shannon was always 100 M.P.H, go, go, go, go...." -Pastor Andy Ritchie

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  18. The plane went down so fast, I wonder if the roll axis balance was correct with cargo and an odd number of people as passengers. Don’t know if this could be a factor in this kind of plane, but taking off they were close to the stall speed.

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  19. I live in Illinois but have attended many golf tournaments in Florida in December over the years. Sometimes tee times will be moved back one hour, usually from 8am, because of fog. But the fog always disappears within that hour. This pilot lived in Florida and must have been completely familiar with fog dissipation there.

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  20. 5 adults on board = ZFW and gross weight. Question I have is ... where in CG, W&B would you have the heavy-set female seated? The Cessna 340 tend to be little tail heavy, so, I'm thinking the heavy-set female would be best in co-pilot seat. Any suggestions and input appreciated.

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  21. Probably a shitload of luggage along with the 5 adults -- remember they were going away on a holiday trip, buttload of stuff in cargo.

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  22. Useful load in a 340 is not impressive! 5 souls fuel etc. may have played a role as well.

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  23. Praying for the remaining family and friends. Let's learn from this. When you stop and think about it, there really is NOWHERE you HAVE to be. So you have to postpone or cancel.....AND??? Let this be a lesson to all of us pilots to cure ourselves of " Get-There - I-Tis". It is better to miss ONE event then miss them ALL. I believe it would have been a better outcome had the conditions been "clear below one two thousand".

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  24. The reported METAR for the field at that time was NOT 0/0 but 1/4 mile. That's an RVR of about 1,600 ft of visibility. Such conditions are certainly not recommended for the non-proficient pilot, but where does it say that this credentialed pilot was not proficient?

    The NTSB's job is to consider all factors since the premature hanging of the pilot is also negligent.

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  25. After working on and seeing twin Cessna 400 series cargo planes take off and land in very foul weather here in the PNW I would say if runway lights are visible a successful takeoff is very possible just more risk if something goes askew, look at the trim tab position on elev. (looks to be full nose down)there's an ad on the elev trim pushpull rod on twin cessna 400's for coming loose and jamming beyond normal travel, saw a 402 crash aftermath because of it, The pilot had to use full arm strength to keep it level and ripped out the gear on landing (of course his heavy smoking didn't help) There might be more to this then fog.

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  26. The Cessna 340 are not tremendous load haulers.

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  27. Let the NTSB figure this out, the fog may or may not have played any role. Even with the heavy fog it would have been a few minutes until VFR on top. But, a return to land would have been well below minimums of 400' above ground and 1 1/2mi vis, actual ceiling 003 300' 1/4mi. With proper lighting and precision instrument approach, the very minimum to land would be 200 ceiling and 1/2 mi vis. KBOW DOES NOT HAVE a precision approach, only having others down to minimums of 400' AGL and 1.5mi vis. Destination airport should have been ok at arrival time. Certainly W&B will be looked at with 5 persons and bags, where the tanks full or only needing enough to the Keys plus reserve? Usually, as mentioned, it's a cascade of failures or something you cannot expect, which is why guessing at the cause is futile. Condolences to family and friends...

    Anthony

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  28. Only the NTSB's investigation will show if both engines were developing power at the time of crash. Maintenance prior to the flight is important. Useful load of that model (not specific aircraft) is 1843 lbs. - full fuel 203 gals or 1203 lbs.- 3 gals oil 24 lbs. leaves 616 lbs for passengers and baggage (assuming full fuel). The balance of the 616 lbs. is a separate calculation. Tragic as it is we must learn from these events as to prevent them from happening again. My condolences to family and friends, RIP.

    Anthony

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  29. Thanks, Anthony. Your reality matched what I was seeing when I was running scenarios.

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  30. It's always hard to tell especially without any facts that only the NTSB has, but it could be the fog didn't play any roll in accident, one thing is always true, never listen to the news media, they know nothing. I have learned that a snap decision usually ends up the wrong guess. Investigators must have a clean slate and look at everything objectively. It would be interesting to know how much fuel was in tanks? Maybe in a few months there will be a preliminary report and I'll post it here. Amazing what the EMS people can do.

    Thanks,

    With sadness,

    Anthony

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  31. This weekend warrior was in way over his head this day . Due to his overconfidence & lack of proficiency ,probably some arrogance, & definitely POOR decision making , several innocent people have lost their lives . This accident would not have happened to a proficient & professional pilot ( even with engine failure at anytime during the take off sequence) Near the beginning of this article one of the accident pilots friends/associates states “ he was a master pilot “ & “ he would turn on his instruments “ typical comments made by someone with absolutely NO knowledge of aviation thinking this low time & lack of IFR experience private pilot can do no wrong . Ignorance is bliss .

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  32. Wow CRJ900...speaking of arrogance, overconfidance and lack of professionalism.

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  33. If the lawyer/weekend warriors' attitude is that you should trust them because they can handle the situation in the cockpit/at the helm, you are in trouble.

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  34. This was nothing but a suicide mission. 5 people and of course their luggage was way over weight for this aircraft. Add in thick fog. Older pilot. Engine failure didn't even have to happen for this aircraft to crash. What was he thinking? Riders should have said I'm not going on this flight. And why was a mother of two babies on this plane. Bad bad bad choices all around!!!!!

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  35. Agreed...he didn't even make it off airport grounds. Any questions?

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  36. "And why was a mother of two babies on this plane."
    ^^ This ^^ What you just expressed are my thoughts exactly.
    Perhaps I'm just an old-fashioned, old school, caring Dad, for certain I would not (WILL NOT) be taking a young mother away from her infant & toddler on a Christmas Eve day pleasure flight.
    "She was a spectacular mother who dedicated every one of her spare seconds to her two beautiful daughters." Sorry, NOT buying it.

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  37. Suicide Mission = You hit the nail on the head - precisely!

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  38. To the anonymous that accused me of being overconfident & unprofessional. 40 years as a professional pilot in this business with an unblemished track record ( no accidents or violations) proves that I am the opposite of your accusations. I monitor aviation safety reports closely & too often we see these types of reports where innocent unsuspecting passengers hop on a fiend or associate’s aircraft with a low time & low hard IFR experience pilot at the controls . I for the most part stay out these foums & let others make their comments but this one hit me kind of hard with its degree of tragedy . This lawyer was no doubt very successful & accomplished at his profession . Flying was his hobby. I maintain he was in way over his head that day . Would you have been happy to go with him on that particular day .

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  39. What CRJ 900 said! When you get on a private aircraft you'd better KNOW who's flying it!!

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  40. When I climb into a piston twin, my ass is always in one of the front seats! Potentially extreme dangerous pieces of machinery when operated. I will never take off in less than VMC conditions in a piston twin – EVER! Any questions?

    Unfortunately, this gentleman had never experienced me read him the riot act – like many others have. If so, he and his family might be alive today.

    ATP/CFI Air Carrier 35K+ hrs. 10K+ hrs. dual given

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  41. Arm chair quarterbacks. lets wait for the real professionals to do their job.

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  42. How can you tell when a pilot is in the room?

    He will tell you.

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  43. I've always been averse to the "pilot error" tag, instead I look at improving training and or procedures. What could have been done better. I know that all of us have made decisions which, at a later time, we would have changed. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Thankfully, most of us are lucky enough to live to tell the tale. Let the NTSB do their job, learn what we can in order to avoid future mishaps.

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  44. I find it interesting that so many "professional" pilots say that part 91 fliers are inferior. You hear about part 91 crashes more because they are usually flying older aircraft that isn't maintained as well as a Delta jet.

    A professional pilot wouldn't have any more success in most part 91 accidents. The difference is that a true professional pilot wouldn't have tried the deployment that this idiot did.

    There have been many commercial carrier accidents where there was a mechanical failure that resulted in a crash that killed many people, so it isn't just private pilots that have issues.

    I know many high time pilots that have gotten more dangerous as they age, hence the airlines won't let you fly past age 60.

    Any professional pilot that "has to comment" on this board because he has 000's of hours and many ratings is as dangerous as any part 91 pilot I know.

    This pilot made some bad decisions that may have contributed to the accident, but until we have the facts, we should hold judgement.

    IMO

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  45. He had a private pilot's license since Oct. 4, 2010, with an instrument rating that allows a pilot to fly solely by referring to flight instruments in clouds or low visibility, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

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  46. Stevie Wonder could see what happened here...don't make it any more complicated than it really is...
    1. Overconfident pilot...hey, I've got an autopilot, right?
    2. The need to "stay on schedule"
    3. Poor decision making
    4. Lack of common sense
    5. Any other questions?
    6. See 1-5 above

    'nuf said. Very sad for those that "trusted" this guy with their lives. RIP.

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  47. As a retired airline Captain, I can honestly say that it was absolute madness and extremely irresponsible for this pilot to have even considered flying in the reported weather conditions. It was even worse to have taken passengers with him to their deaths. Misplaced overconfidence will likely have played a large part in this tragedy, as it often does.

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  48. Not that my opinion matters, but I agree with all the comments about taking off in such fog and low visibility/ceiling -- whether legally he had IMC T.O. conditions or not. Certainly questionable (or lacking) for instrument approach/landing minimums if he had gotten airborne and needed to come back ASAP due to a problem. In any case, ill advised while arm chair quarterbacking this all. But I DO believe that a contributing factor on this particular 340 and 'pax sortie' was that it was overloaded (at or beyond max T.O. gross)....or that mishap A/C was over-rotated for it's weight. As somebody already said, the 340 doesn't have a great payload despite being a twin. If you look at his PAX, he had a fairly heavy load despite one open seat. CG might have been a player, too...and I wonder what his fuel load was. Regardless, may the RIP. But for me, this has been a sobering wake-up call. I don't ever want to jeopardize somebody life while flying GA/private SEL. I'm simply not qualified and proficient -- and WX can be a killer/distraction for sure.

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  49. When will the NTSB release a preliminary report? In particular, were both engines developing power?

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  50. Starts and ends with "tow me out so I don't hit a hanger"!!!

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  51. ^^ Agree with the above comment.

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  52. Mark ATP 14000 hrs

    Owner/Operator many cases = minimal proficiency training and periodic flying which leads to poor decision making and substandard flying skills. Tragedy in seconds. Sad day.

    Condolences

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  53. The pilot's pastors comment makes something jump out for me. He was certain that it couldn't have been the fog that helped kill them all, as he'd been in the plane with the pilot previously when he landed in heavy fog.

    That statement says to me this pilot not unusually flew in weather that was below minimums. He became used to that just being how it was sometimes, and after all, it hadn't killed him yet, so it must be safe now. Years of being lucky then makes the pilot think he or she is immune to bad outcomes, and they then involve loved ones in their poor decisions. Accidents rarely occur the first time someone exhibits risky behavior.

    So many of the accidents chronicled here I think are explained by this phenomenon. Recently an 82 year old who took off with her child and two grandchildren on a flight which would take longer to fly than to drive on a day that was an absolute slog of a day with weather below minimums at her intended arrival airport. Reports indicated it was a flight she made commonly, so she took off into hard IMC and killed them all when possibly mechanical failure made it necessary to force a landing when the ground wasn't visible.

    http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/06/cessna-t182t-turbo-skylane-n1880b-fatal.html

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  54. We will be coming up soon on a year after this accident and still no final report from the FAA! What is holding this up?

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  55. Have you noticed the position of the elevator trim tab on the right elevator? Looks like it is set for near full nose down ... One picture of the rh side of the verticle and rh elevator show it.

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  56. There’s 2 mentions of when the pilot received his license. One entry says he obtained it in 2010 and another entry says he obtained his license while he was in high school in 1965. Something tells me it’s 1965. Hopefully the FAA will issue an update soon as I’m curious to know exactly what happened here. Hopefully the families have been able to heal, if only just a little.

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  57. Chris,

    First it is the NTSB that investigates.. and secondly the typical time to get a final report with a probable cause for a high profile crash like this one is 1.5 to 2.5 years.

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  58. Mr. Anonymous, I respectfully disagree that final reports typically take that long . The Cessna crash at Cleveland's Burk Field was one year. That was certainly high profile. The Arrow that lost its wing took months.

    Oh yeah, I know it is the NTSB. But let's face it, the FAA is heavily involved.

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  59. Anonymous' stated qualifications:

    ATP, space shuttle/SR71 type rating 500k TT+ CFIII 300K HRS dual given

    Let's see, that equates to flying 138 hours a week for 75 years. Wow, you've got me beat!

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