Florida

Small Plane Crashes Into Building in Lakeland, 2 Believed Dead

A small airplane carrying two people crashed into a building in central Florida, halfway between Tampa and Orlando, officials said Thursday.

The small plane crashed into a warehouse at 5300 Allen K. Breed Highway, Lakeland Fire officials said. City spokesman Kevin Cook said the two people on board the plane are believed to be dead.

Lakeland police Sgt. Gary Gross said witnesses saw the plane in distress around 10 a.m. Thursday. When officials arrived, the building was on fire.

The building houses Key Safety Systems, which designs, develops and manufactures automotive safety systems including air bags and seatbelts.

Cook said the plane was a Twin Engine Piper Apache from a flight training school. A student and instructor are the reported victims.

No one was inside the warehouse but there are chemicals in the building and hazmat crews were working to get inside.

A small regional airport is located near the Lakeland scene, though it wasn't know whether the plane had ties there.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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