5 dead after twin-engine plane crashes at Florida airport

Polk County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Tina Mann said in a statement that a total of four fatalities had been confirmed in the crash Sunday morning at Bartow Municipal Airport.

Victoria Shannon-Worthington was the 26-year-old daughter of John Shannon. They also say, along with them was the pilot's other daughter, 24-year-old Olivia Shannon, a Southern University student, and a family friend, 32-year-old Krista Clayton.

The Worthingtons had arrived in Florida on Saturday for the Christmas holiday, Sheriff's office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said.

Victoria was a school teacher, while her husband was a third year law student at the University of Maryland. They were married in June, and her father's Facebook profile photo shows him with his daughters at her wedding.

She was from Lakeland and was a teacher at the Jewett Academy. He ran for Florida state representative in 2014 as a Republican and lost in a primary election by fewer than 175 votes. "Krista joined the family on the trip", the news release said. A sheriff's deputy who responded to a 911 call found the wreckage in flames in a grass field.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the crash. She was also the mother of an 18-month-old and 3-year-old, Sheriff Judd said. The sheriff - at times becoming emotional while speaking of his friend - said he was told Shannon brought cookies for the Bartow airport staff. "What I was understanding was that visibility was pretty much zero". She noted that pilots who fly in those conditions must be experienced because they have to use a plane's instruments, as opposed to looking outside, to determine speed, altitude and direction.

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.

While the cause of the incident is under investigation, "it was very foggy at the time", the sheriff's office said, adding that a fire followed the crash.

Recommended:

• 

  26 December 2017

  PM Modi launches Delhi Metro's Magenta Line

  Aditynath said that in the nine months of his rule, he was taking decisions without any partisan attitude or self interest. On December 24, 2002 then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a ride on the metro, Modi recalled.
  

  26 December 2017

  Peruvians celebrate Christmas Eve with hugs and good wishes

  He said much more than festivity and celebration, the spirit of Christmas was to share, to reach out, and to love all humanity. Orthodox and Catholic attendees celebrated Christmas with separate ceremonies, during which they prayed for world peace.
  

  23 December 2017

  Secunderabad woman dies after jilted lover sets her on fire on street

  According to reports , the accused called the victim at the spot, where he poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. The attacker, Karthik, had known her for over a year and claimed to be in love with her, said sources.
• 

  26 December 2017

  Jennifer Lawrence Gifts BFF Kris Jenner a Porsche For Christmas-Kinda

  The actress has bought Kris Jenner debatably the best Christmas present ever, as the pair's BFF status reaches new heights. This week, Jenner's daughter Khloe Kardashian confirmed she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tristan Thompson.
  

  24 December 2017

  Rahul returns to Gujarat, visits Somnath Temple

  There will be a Congress party workers' meet at Gujarat University Convention Hall at GNBC ground in Ahmedabad. The party lost power in Himachal Pradesh too.
  

  24 December 2017

  Miss America CEO resigns after report of derogatory emails

  Miss America chairman and CEO Sam Haskell resigned Saturday-just a day after saying he wouldn't, the New York Daily News reports. The writer responded by questioning whether he and Haskell were part of a tiny group of people who had not had sex with Hagan.
• 

  26 December 2017

  Steelers use defense to clinch postseason bye

  Yates completed 7-of-16 passes for 83 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Monday's Week 16 loss to the Steelers . They held a comfortable 34-6 lead late against the Texans, and chose to take out several of their key players.
  

  25 December 2017

  Four killed as bus crashes into underground passageway in Moscow

  He tried to apply the brakes but they did not work, the investigative committee said, with the crash happening in icy conditions. It is not clear what caused the crash but Russian media said the driver had been detained after he lost control of the vehicle.
  

  24 December 2017

  Arsenal v Liverpool: 5 things we learned

  Such were the depths of Arsenal's defensive ineptitude that the players were booed off at halftime at Emirates Stadium. In the end, a 3-3 draw was about right for the two clubs fighting for Top 4 Champions League spots.
• 

  25 December 2017

  LeBron James Says He Doesn't 'Lose Sleep Anymore' Over His Finals Losses

  Since then, Durant told GQ in November that he viewed that moment as James "passing the torch to me". Don't ask LeBron James if he is still haunted by last season's NBA Finals loss to the Warriors.
  

  23 December 2017

  LA Metro Offering Free Rides On Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve

  Litre of milk, painkillers or last-minute gift? The council will again be offering a collection service for real Christmas trees. Denny's: Christmas is one of Denny's busiest days of the year, and the franchise keeps all its locations open 24/7.
  

  23 December 2017

  Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is stepping down as Alphabet's executive chairman

  He also said that he will be putting a larger focus on science, technology and philanthropy moving forward. The business will join Apple and Microsoft who are both huge companies with a non-executive chairman.