Earlier in 2017, he had attempted to fly in dense fog, but his former flight instructor told him he couldn't fly because of the weather. Records show that Shannon, a Lakeland lawyer, had a history of flying in challenging conditions. “However, when visibility is restricted (i.e., no visual reference to the horizon or surface detected) the body's supporting senses can conflict with what is seen.” “Sight, supported by other sense, allows a pilot to maintain orientation while flying,” the report stated. The federal report stated that evidence indicated Shannon was flying on instruments until the spatial disorientation set in. More than half way through the video, two distinct chirps can be heard before the video ends with the engines still going, according to reports. In a 46-second video shot by an employee in the fixed-base operations center, the plane could be heard but not seen as it traveled down the runway. Shannon, then president of the Republican Club of Lakeland and the Kiwanis Club, took off about 7:15 a.m., even as Polk County was under a dense fog advisory. The five had planned a 45-minute flight south to the Florida Keys, where they were going to have lunch and spend some time in the islands before returning later in the day.

A family friend, Krista Clayton, 32, also died at the scene. Shannon, 70, died on impact, as did his daughter, Olivia Shannon, 24, and her sister and brother-in-law, Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, and Peter Worthington, 27. NTSB reports also revealed that Shannon's Cessna was about 105 pounds over its weight limit at takeoff, making it more difficult for the plane to lift off the runway. RELATED>Confirmed: 2 dead in Bartow plane crash Visibility that day was registered at about a quarter mile. In that early morning crash in 2017, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board determined that pilot John Shannon likely became disoriented after taking off in the heavy fog, causing him to lose control and crash. But Thursday's double fatality near the airport marked the second crash with multiple deaths since that Christmas Eve crash that took five lives. Well-known Lakeland lawyer John Shannon, two of his daughters, a son-in-law and family friend died trying to take off in foggy conditions.īARTOW - Before December 2017, decades had passed since the city-owned Bartow Executive Airport had logged a fatal plane crash.

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