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Three people were killed Sunday when their small plane crashed and caught fire in a wooded area west of DeLand.
The crash was reported around 4 p.m. in a wooded area off State Road 44 and Grand Avenue, according to Andrew Gant, spokesman for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Units responding to the crash site in the woods discovered the twin-engine Cessna 421 airplane, along with three people with no pulse.
Several witnesses in the area reported seeing the plane go down, Gant said.
The identities of the victims were released Monday morning. Armand Girouard, 27, of DeLand, was the pilot, while Ernendro Philippe, 32, of Kissimmee, and Shawna Carbonaro, 34, of DeLand, were passengers.
Gant said the crash investigation has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, who were notified shortly after the crash.
Traffic on S.R. 44 was shut down Sunday evening between Grand Avenue and Old New York Avenue.
FAA records show the plane was manufactured in 1968, and is registered to Martin Flores of Olmito, Texas.
