Plane was in distress for an hour before victims were found, records show

Husband, wife injured

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A plane that crashed Wednesday in Osceola County had been emitting a distress signal for about an hour before the two victims were found, according to records released by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Someone from the U.S. Air Force called the Sheriff's Office at about 12:30 p.m. requesting that deputies go to an area near Lake Tohopekaliga to investigate whether an aircraft had crashed because the agency had been receiving a distress signal for about an hour and their data showed the plane hadn't moved in that time.

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Deputies said when they arrived at about 1:06 p.m., they found the single-engine Velocity XL-RG-5 upside down in the grass. Sue Cabiroy was stuck in the plane, likely with two broken legs, but her head and chest were outside of the aircraft. The report said she was too shocked to speak.

Her husband, Stephen Cabiroy, was lying on his back near the left wing. He told deputies he suffered a dislocated hip, a broken hip and internal injuries.

It's unclear what caused the plane to crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.


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