Pilot, 2 Chinese trainees presumably dead after plane crash in Florida

One pilot and two Chinese trainees are thought to have died after their plane crashed into a lake in the U.S. state of Florida Friday, reports have said.

Two Chinese trainees are missing after a training flight  crashed into Lake Harney in Florida on Friday. [Photo: CGTN]

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said that the Connection 900 plane crashed in Lake Harney near the Volusia-Seminole county line around 11:30 a.m. (1630 GMT) Friday.

Local reports said the pilot was from Sanford, a city in central Florida, and the two passengers were confirmed to be Chinese nationals who were staying in Sanford.

Officials said their bodies have not yet been recovered. The search is expected to resume on Saturday morning.

Scuba divers, search and rescue teams as well as boats reportedly spent hours in the lake searching for the victims on Friday. 

The FAA said the plane was on its way to Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Lake Harney: Map [Photo: China Plus]

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the crash.

Commercial Training Solutions, which operated the plane, confirmed the crash in a statement, while pledging full cooperation with the authorities in the investigation.