Sheriff: 5 dead after plane crashes in Bartow

BARTOW (FOX 13) - 5 people were killed, including family members, Sunday morning after a small plane crashed shorty after taking off from Bartow in heavy fog according to officials. 

The crash happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the end of a runway at the airport.

According to Sheriff Grady Judd, the plane attempted to take off during very foggy conditions. It crashed and caught fire soon after taking off.

Sheriff Judd identified the pilot as 70-year-old John Shannon, an attorney from Lakeland.

Shannon's passengers included his two daughters, his son-in-law and a family friend. They were identified as: 24-year-old Southeastern University student Olivia Shannon, 26-year-old Baltimore teacher Victoria Shannon Worthington, 27-year-old University of Maryland law student Peter Worthington Jr. and 32-year-old Lakeland teacher Krista Clayton.

According to investigators the party was planning on flying ot the Florida Keys for the day, returning to Bartow sometime Sunday evening. 

The Sheriff's Office said the fog likely contributed to the crash. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have been called in to investigate.