Federal safety investigators will return to a DeLand Publix Wednesday to continue their investigation into a fiery plane crash.
Recently released photos show the charred mess left behind: Shelves of food products, burned and melted; and a gaping hole on the roof of the grocery store.
The plane had just taken off from the DeLand Municipal Airport when it suddenly lost power and crashed into the Publix in the Northgate Shopping Center on International Speedway Boulevard Monday evening.
Five people were injured in the crash, including the pilot, the co-pilot and three people who were inside the Publix.
The two inside the home-built Seawind 3000 aircraft have been identified as Kim Presbrey and Thomas Rhoedes, both from Illinois.
One has a private pilot's license, one had a commercial license, but officials didn't say which had what license or who was piloting the plane.
Presbrey and Rhodes remain in serious condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Of three shoppers injured, one is in stable condition and the other two were released from the hospital.
The Publix has now become a salvage site with a construction fence around it. Huge containers surround the area to haul away what's inside the damaged grocery store.
Several aisles inside the store are destroyed and Tuesday, investigators began removing the wreckage of the plane piece by piece. Investigators will focus on the engine because several witnesses said they heard engine trouble prior to the plane plunging into the store.
Newly released 911 calls are painting a picture of the chaos that followed the fireball in the middle of the store.
"Oh my God, an airplane just went into the Publix, oh my God," said a caller.
"I'm hearing it. I've got the store on line and I hear people screaming, 'Get out! Get out!'" said the dispatcher.
During the calls, operators heard mostly screams.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it's too early to tell why the plane crashed shortly after take-off.
Investigators are looking into the flight experience of the two men in the cockpit. The investigation could take up to six months.
Publix said there is no time-table for getting the store re-opened.
Publix has already transferred pharmacy prescriptions to another store about three miles away. The company said the jobs of the 175 people who work there are safe.
They will be moved to other Publix locations for now.
A Lake County pilot told WFTV the pilot of the crashed plane may have been trying to make an emergency landing on the roof.
Ed Lynch built and flies his own experimental plane. It’s a Seawind 3000, just like the one that crashed.
Lynch said seaplanes like this are home built, but have to be inspected by the FAA to be certified as air worthy. He said you cannot legally fly the plane without a pilot's license.
"That's just a generality. If you have 10 crashes, probably eight of them are because the fuel flow was interrupted,” he said.
Lynch said the pilot may have thought he could land on the Publix and falling through the roof was a surprise.
Flying one of those planes can be an expensive hobby. A standard kit for the Seawind 3000 can cost $60,000 to $90,000.
It costs more than $200,000 for a fully assembled one. The experimental plane can reach up to 160 knots, which is about 184 miles per hour and has a top altitude of 20,000 feet.
WFTV
