The calls came in as ‘plane down.’ Video shows the devastating crash that took 3 lives
The calls started pouring in late Sunday afternoon.
A small plane, a Cessna 421, had crashed in a wooded area near DeLand.
“I would like to report a plane crash ... A couple of pops in the engine and I see it [the plane] spiral nose down and I heard it crash,” a man told dispatch.
The force of the crash broke the plane in half — separating the tail from the cabin — and sparked fires near the cockpit.
The pilot and his two passengers died.
On Monday, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office identified the pilot as Armand Girouard, 27, of DeLand. His two passengers were Ernendro Philippe, 32, of Kissimmee and Shawna Carbonaro, 34, of DeLand, the sheriff’s office said.
Body-cam footage shows Volusia deputies and nearby Samaritans running through the woods, trying to find the downed plane.
“Oh, I see it! It’s over here!” you can hear the deputy shout as he runs to the wreck.
“Sheriff’s Office. If anybody is in there, announce yourself... is anyone in there?” The deputy repeatedly asks as he nears the burning plane.
The plane, “N731PF,” is a Cessna 421 fixed wing multi-engine plane and is registered to Flores Martin in Olmito, Texas, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
It’s still unclear what airport the plane departed from and where it was going.
Originally posted on the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, the video was taken down Monday “out of respect for the family, friends and all of you who spoke up,” according to the sheriff’s office. “To all family and friends of Armand, Ernendro and Shawna, we’re sorry for your loss and we wish you peace as you grieve and remember each of them.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 4:49 PM.
