Baltimore Teacher And Her Husband Die In Florida Plane Crash

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore school teacher and her husband, a third-year law student at the University of Maryland, were among the victims identified in a fiery twin-engine plane crash on Christmas Eve in Bartow, Florida. Five people in all died Sunday morning at the Bartow Municipal Airport, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Preliminary information indicated the Cessna 340 took off about 7:15 a.m. heading east into heavy fog. For reasons that remain unknown — but likely stemmed from the fog — the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, the sheriff's office said.

Pilot John Hugh Shannon, a 70-year-old Lakeland, Florida, attorney, and his four passengers were killed, the sheriff's office said.

Shannon's two daughters, Olivia Shannon, a 24-year-old Southeastern University student, of Lakeland, Florida, and Victoria Shannon Worthington, 26, a Baltimore teacher were also killed, authorities said.

Worthington's husband, Peter Worthington Jr., a 27-year-old law student at the University of Maryland was also killed along with family friend Krista Clayton, 32, a school teacher at Jewett Academy in Lakeland, authorities said.

Donald B. Tobin, dean of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law issued a statement of condolence after learning of Peter Worthington's death. "Words cannot properly express the sadness felt by the Maryland Carey Law community and everyone at the University of Maryland, Baltimore over the loss of Peter Worthington, a third year law student," Tobin said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his friends and family and also to the friends and family of those who died with him in this terrible crash. He was a tremendous contributor to our community, and he will be terribly missed.”

John Shannon had filed a flight plan Sunday morning to fly to Key West. His daughter and her husband arrived in Lakeland on Saturday for the holidays, from Baltimore. Krista Clayton joined the family on the trip.

Autopsies will be conducted later this week to determine the exact causes of death, according to the sheriff's office.

The National Weather Service was reporting that visibility in the area at the time of the crash was less than a quarter-mile because of fog.

The FAA and NTSB will investigate the cause of the crash.

According to Legacy.com, Victoria "Tori" Shannon and Peter "Pete" Worthington married in June at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore. Both went to Clemson University where Tori majored in English and Pete majored in business administration.

The wedding announcement said Tori graduated from John Hopkins University with a master's in education.

Patch reporter Don Johnson contributed to this report.

Image via Polk County Sheriff