SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say three men onboard a small plane that crashed into a lake in central Florida are presumed dead.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the twin-engine Beechcraft was landing at Orlando Sanford International Airport when it crashed about 11:30 a.m. Friday into Lake Harney, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Orlando. Reporters on the scene saw authorities bringing pieces of wreckage onto shore.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office identified the pilot as 56-year-old Kamalesh Naik of Sanford, Florida, and the passengers as two Chinese nationals, 22-year-old Men Tao and 23-year-old Hou Xupeng. Their bodies have not been recovered. The plane belonged to a commercial flight school at the airport.
Naik’s LinkedIn account lists his occupations as flight instructor and airline pilot.
The search for men’s bodies will resume Saturday.