Victims identified: Bodies recovered after plane crashes into Lake Maitland

MAITLAND, Fla. — Two men were killed Wednesday after a plane crashed into an Orange County lake, according to Maitland police.

The victims were identified Thursday as Stanley Rampey, 67, and Raymond Dodd, 79. Both were from Seneca, South Carolina, investigators said.

Neighbors said they watched as the plane went down around 11 a.m. into Lake Maitland.

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The plane was pulled out of the lake Wednesday night.

The FAA said the Cessna 182 left the Orlando Executive Airport headed for Massey Ranch Airpark in New Smyrna Beach. Police said both of the men on board, identified as Stanley Rampey, 67, and Raymond Dodd, 79, were both from Seneca, South Carolina.

The NTSB held a press conference discussing the crash Thursday afternoon. Watch it in full below:

WATCH LIVE: NTSB discussing deadly Maitland plane crash
WATCH LIVE: NTSB is hosting a press conference to discuss the plane crash into Lake Maitland that left two men dead on Wednesday. READ MORE: https://at.wftv.com/2KJ6rGN
Posted by WFTV Channel 9 on Thursday, June 13, 2019

Because of the bad weather Wednesday afternoon, the search was briefly called off. It was nine hours after witnesses reported the crash that the plane was finally pulled from the water.

Fisher Omans, of Oviedo, was on the lake at the time the plane went down.

"It looked like the pilot made a maneuver and hooked a U-turn to come towards the lake, and when he began to turn towards the lake, he hit the top of the trees, kind of dusted the trees," Omans said.

Cellphone video shows crews searching the lake before finding the wreckage in the early afternoon.

"We deployed some dive teams, as well, to search for the vessel and possibly any occupants of the vessel," said Lt. Louis Grindle, with the Maitland Police Department.

The pilot reported problems with his fuel soon after takeoff.

Witnesses said they could hear the plane sputtering before it crashed.

Lake Maitland is about 25 feet deep in some places, according to residents who live there.

“You're talking about a large body of water. A plane has gone down. The recovery of the occupants is the most important, making sure there's no dangers like fuel," Grindle said.

This is the second plane to crash in the Maitland area in the last month.

A small plane landed on the off-ramp to I-4 on May 17. No one was injured in that incident.

Read: Plane lands on I-4 ramp near Maitland

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Watch Eyewitness News for live updates.

BREAKING: Maitland Police say both the pilot and the passenger in a plane that went down in Lake Maitland have been found dead. Still working on removing the plane. NTSB taking over the investigation now. @AshleyEdlund pic.twitter.com/XcrlbC1qcs
— Ashley Edlund (@AshleyEdlund) June 12, 2019

#New: A resident who lives on Lake Maitland witnessed the plane crash into the water. Then he helped dive teams search the water. His story coming on #WFTV pic.twitter.com/D8Vs8gaJwW
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) June 12, 2019

Fort Maitland is currently closed for boat access. We’re asking residents that live on Lake Maitland not to launch any watercraft onto Lake Maitland.
— Maitland Police Department (@MaitlandPolice) June 12, 2019

#Breaking: Crews in Maitland searching the water of Lake Maitland after plane goes down.#WFTV pic.twitter.com/cuP8znHOXY
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) June 12, 2019