Two people killed in a small plane crash in Hillsborough County, Florida , have been identified as pilot David Siambanes, 59, and passenger Dawn Stone, 53, authorities said.
For now, authorities have confirmed Siambanes and Stone as the two people killed in the crash. The aircraft crashed Thursday morning in a wooded area near U.S. Deputies who responded to the scene found the aircraft engulfed in flames.
301 and Maislin Drive, shortly after taking off from Tampa Executive Airport. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received multiple 911 calls at about 8:17 a.m. reporting the crash. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within about 10 minutes, but both people aboard the plane died. David Siambanes, 59, was the pilot, while Dawn Stone, 53, was the passenger aboard the aircraft, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced .
Authorities said their families had been notified.
Authorities have so far released limited information about the victims. Their ages and roles on the flight have been confirmed, but officials have not disclosed details about their occupations, personal backgrounds or relationship. The victims’ identities were released after authorities notified their families.
The available information does not indicate why Stone was aboard the flight or where the two were headed when the aircraft crashed. The plane had taken off from Tampa Executive Airport before going down near U.S. The aircraft went down in a wooded area near U.S. Deputies found the plane on fire, and firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Despite the response, neither person aboard the aircraft survived.
301, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. 301 and Maislin Drive shortly after departing Tampa Executive Airport . Emergency crews were sent to the scene after several 911 calls came in at around 8:17 a.m. WFLA reported that the fire was brought under control within roughly 10 minutes.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash. As of Thursday night, authorities had not determined what caused the aircraft to go down.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the crash as a “tragic loss” and said officials would continue working with federal partners as the investigation proceeds. A final investigative report could take one to two years to complete, according to WFLA.
Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage and other available evidence as they work to establish the sequence of events before the crash.
