Investigators: Plane Crash in Florida Happened after Hitting Antenna

Aviation authorities released further details of the cause of a small plane crash in Tampa, Florida that killed three people.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane hit an antenna after taking off July 17 at Vandenburg Airport and crashed about 100 feet off the runway. The antenna is used to help pilots in instrument-guided landings.

It had been raining, but investigators say weather was not a factor.

An examination of the debris was expected July 20.

The victims are identified as 49-year-old Patricia Snyder, a cancer patient, who was being flown to a hospital. Also killed was the pilot, 81-year-old Harlan Northcott, and another passenger, 15-year-old Tyler McLellan.

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Information from: The Tampa Tribune, http://www.tampatrib.com