Officials have identified the two people injured when a single-engine plane crashed Wednesday morning at the Lake Wales Municipal Airport.
Instructor pilot Anthony Arzave, 32, of Lake Mary, and student pilot Sheng-yen Chen, 26, of China, were in the Cirrus SR20 when it crashed near a runway at the airport.
Police were notified of the crash at approximately 10:44 a.m. and found the plane near a runway in a swampy area.
Both pilots were taken to local hospitals. Chen is in critical condition, while Arzave's condition was listed as stable. No further information has been released about their conditions.
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Officials said the plane, which belongs to Aerosim Academy Inc., based out of Sanford, was equipped with an emergency parachute, which deployed. However, investigators said they don't know if the parachute was deployed by the pilots or deployed on impact.
"This was not related to the skydive center," Lake Wales police spokesman David Black said Wednesday during a press conference. "The parachute that you all have seen is a part of the plane. It's part of the safety system in that plane is what I've been told."
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Bureau.
Statement from Aerosim Academy Inc.
"At approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, July 22, 2015, an Aerosim Flight Academy Cirrus SR-20 aircraft crewed by a Certified Flight Instructor and student experienced difficulty at the Lake Wales Municipal Airport during a routine training flight. The instructor and student were transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation and care.
"At the present time, Aerosim is gathering all available information on the condition of the crew, status of the aircraft and potential causes of this incident. Aerosim is working closely and cooperating with all local, state and federal entities to ensure that a proper and complete investigation is conducted.
"The safety of our students and instructors is our top priority. We remain in close communications will all authorities as the incident remains an active investigation."