Four Killed in Florida Midair Collision

A Polk State College flight instructor and her student were among those killed in the accident over Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven, Florida.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, March 08, 2023 at 01:00 PM ET

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The collision involved a Piper J-3 Cub on floats operated by Jack Brown's Seaplane Base and a Piper Cherokee, similar to the aircraft shown here, operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College. [FLYING archive/iStock]

Key Takeaways:

A midair collision in central Florida over Lake Hartridge resulted in the deaths of four people on Tuesday.
The accident involved two aircraft: a Piper Cherokee operated for Polk State College and a Piper J-3 Cub from Jack Brown's Seaplane Base.
The victims included a flight instructor and student from Polk State College, and two experienced pilots from the seaplane base, all of whom have been recovered.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are investigating the incident, with both organizations expressing condolences and offering support.

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Authorities are investigating the midair collision in central Florida Tuesday that took the lives of four people. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s office, the accident happened over Lake Hartridge in Winter Haven, Florida, around 2 p.m.

There were several eyewitnesses to the collision between the Piper Cherokee operated by Sunrise Aviation on behalf of Polk State College, and the Piper J-3 Cub on floats operated by Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base.