Crews in Lake Alfred spent much of Saturday examining the wreckage left behind when a plane crashed onto a workshop garage just before 10 a.m. Friday.

  • Investigators still have searching for cause of crash
  • Homeowner also a pilot, suffered personal losses to plane crashes

On board the aircraft, a Republic Seabee, were John Murphy and his wife, Doris Murphy. They were transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center after the crash, and are expected to make a full recovery, according to Polk County deputies.
 
Homeowner John Bernache said the plane crash created quite the mess.

"A lot of damage. Besides the building, the fence is gone, my shed is totaled, the other trailer got damage to it,” said Bernache. "My pineapple crop is ruined."

Bernache said his chemotherapy appointment is the reason he wasn’t home when the crash happened.
 
"I always go on Thursday, but this week they changed it to Friday,” said Bernache.  “Otherwise, I would've been in there when the plane wrecked. "

Plane wrecks are all too familiar for Bernache, who is also a pilot.

"I have seven friends, seven close friends killed in a plane crash already,” Bernache said.
 
He's relieved the Murphys made it out of the wreck alive.

"I think they're really, really, lucky," said Bernache. "Really, really, lucky. After looking at the plane itself, I don't know how they survived."
 
Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration were on scene Saturday looking into the crash. Investigators said they still have no idea why the plane came crashing down. They took the plane away from the scene so they could examine all of its components.