(BARTOW, Fla.) — Four people died Sunday after their twin-engine plane crashed at the end of a runway at a small airport in Florida, authorities said.
The plane already was engulfed in flames by the time fire rescue crews arrived at the scene at Bartow Municipal Airport, Polk County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Tina Mann said in a statement.
“There are a total of four confirmed fatalities,” Mann said.
The private plane was heading east into heavy fog when it took off, according to a separate statement from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff. The cause wasn’t immediately clear, but the sheriff’s office said it was “likely related to the fog.”
The names of the victims were not released, pending notification of next of kin.
“This is a horrific tragedy, especially on Christmas Eve, and the victims and their families are in our prayers,” the sheriff’s office statement said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the crash
Bartow is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Orlando.