WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to investigate the crash of a plane into a Winter Haven home that killed a pilot and left a student pilot with minor injuries.
- Small plane carrying 2 nose-dived into Winter Haven home
- Pilot killed; student pilot, teen girl in home slightly injured
- It could take days to remove plane from house
- FAA, NTSB were scheduled to be at the home later Sunday
- RELATED: 1 Dead After Plane Crashes Into Winter Haven Home
A family of six was forced out of their home on 21st Street NW after a plane nose-dived into a bedroom Saturday, pinning down and trapping a 17-year-old girl.
Plane nosedives into a home in Polk County. Day 2, plane still here and the family is out. Tune into @MyNews13 to find out how a 17 yr old who was trapped inside walked away with just minor issues pic.twitter.com/U5c098ZmmN
— Deborah Souverain (@DebSouverainTV) February 24, 2019
Garrett Koehlert said he ran over to help after seeing the plane go down.
"The cockpit was in the middle of the bedroom. There was probably a space this wide left in the bedroom, and that was it," Koehlert said.
Authorities said the pilot, 64-year-old James Wagner, was training a student, and the pair had just taken off from Winter Haven Regional Airport in the UC1 Twin SeaBee amphibious plane.
"The airport is literally right there," neighbor Jenni Jones said. "Unbelievable. Never seen anything like it in my life."
Wagner, who had been flying since he was 16, died at the scene.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the pair were scheduled to practice simulated engine-failure training, but he wasn't sure whether that had anything to do with the crash.
The student pilot, 33-year-old Timothy Sheehy, and the 17-year-old girl in the home incurred minor injuries.
The plane was removed from the home Sunday.
The FAA as well as National Transportation Safety Board officials were slated to be at the home later Sunday to investigate.