Fatal plane crash victims in Panama City identified as Orlando residents
(Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the passenger's name.)
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The victims in Monday's fatal plane crash that killed two people and injured a third were Orlando residents, according to a news release from the Bay County Sheriff's Office Tuesday.
The pilot, identified as Ernesto Rosias, 54, and passenger Corey L. Lamb, 44, were dead at the scene of the crash, just south of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, the release said.
A second passenger, identified as Sertrone Starks, 44, also of Orlando, was listed in critical condition in an area hospital Monday night. His condition was not available Tuesday.
Quick visit
Investigators believe the men were only in Bay County for a few hours, having arrived sometime before noon.
Whitney Polk, Starks' sister, told The News Herald that her brother and his friends had come to Bay County for a "quick business meeting." She did not know the nature of the meeting.
She said Tuesday afternoon that her brother is "doing better" as he continues to recover at the hospital.
Previous report: Two people dead, one in critical condition after plane crash near Panama City airport
Previously: Small plane crashes shortly after takeoff in Sandy Creek, two people injured
According to Airport Executive Director Parker McClellan, the Piper Arrow 4 took off about 4:07 p.m. Monday with three people aboard. The plane is a 1979 Piper PA-28RT-201, a single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear, the sheriff's news release stated.
An FAA spokesperson said the plane was headed to the Orlando Executive Airport.
McClellan said the pilot was in communication with air traffic control.
"(The pilot) took off, declared an emergency and was turning back to the airport," McClellan said.
The aircraft never made it back.
"The whole flight lasted three or four minutes," McClellan said.
The plane crashed south of the airport runway on St. Joe company-owned property.
Bay County Sheriff's Office deputies, airport police and Bay County Fire Rescue were called at 4:19 p.m. in response to the crash. Sheriff's Office spokesperson Ruth Corley said the department's helicopter went up and quickly located the wreckage.
The crash remained under investigation Tuesday by the FAA Southern Division and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The airport saw about 7,400 departures and arrivals in May alone, McClellan said. Its records show that last year, there were 82,000 flight operations.
Another double-fatal plane crash
It also was the site of a double-fatal plane crash March 8. MyMichigan Health President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery and her husband, Donald Slattery, died in that crash.
Their plane disappeared from radar about two miles from the airport. It was later found in a wooded area about a mile north of the airport's northern runway, according to a News Herald article the next day. Officials using drones found the wreckage.
The preliminary report compiled by the NTSB is online, but the results of the investigation may not be available for a year or two. According to Jennifer Gabris, a final report on the investigation can take 12 to 24 months.
The preliminary report is also online. It notes that the pilot intended to land at the airport during overcast conditions and asked for brighter approach lighting. The air traffic controller also mentioned that there are other nearby airports with better weather. The pilot acknowledged but intended to land there anyway. The controller noted that the pilot was suddenly drifting from his flight track, and noted a further deviation from the path, but the pilot did not respond.
The report also shows that the investigation is on-going and it provides no reason for that crash.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City plane crash victims identified as Orlando residents
