Polk County Plane Crash Deaths Ruled Accidental


The Polk County medical examiner has determined that four passengers on board a small plane which crashed shortly after take off from Bartow Municipal Airport Christmas Eve died of blunt force trauma.  

But the report has withheld the cause of death for the pilot, 70-year-old John Shannon pending toxicology results.  

The local attorney was taking his two daughters, 26-year-old Victoria Worthington, 24-year-old Olivia Shannon, Worthington's husband Peter Worthington Jr. and family friend 32-year-old Krista Clayton to Key West for Christmas Eve.  

The Cessna 340 took off from Bartow Municipal Airport early Sunday morning, but crashed shortly after it was airborne.  There were foggy conditions that morning.


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