Plane Wing Breaks in Half During Flight..

On the evening of June 15, 2026, two young pilots set out to fly formation over the countryside north of Lakeland, Florida. One had taken off from Bartow in a tiny, single-seat experimental airplane, a Van's RV-3A. His friend had departed Lakeland Linder in a separate aircraft to meet him. They formed up in the evening sky. Then, during a formation break, the friend looked over just in time to see the wing depart his friend's airplane. It came apart in flight and went down into a wooded cow pasture below. The surviving pilot kept his composure, marked the exact spot, and stayed overhead coordinating with Lakeland Tower and the responding crews, who reached the wreckage within five minutes. The twenty-three-year-old pilot did not survive. This is the real Lakeland Tower audio of that surviving pilot reporting what he saw and helping guide rescuers in. The map shown is an approximate recreation based on his account, there is no official flight track yet. Why the wing departed is not known. The NTSB and FAA are investigating, and it will be many months before there is a finding. We'll cover the final report with care. Source: Polk County Sheriff's Office. Audio: LiveATC / public ATC. Out of respect, the pilot is not named here. CHAPTERS 0:00 Two friends, one formation flight 0:35 "I just watched an accident happen" 1:30 What he saw: the wing in the break 2:10 The formation flight, a recreation 2:45 The search, and fire rescue on site 3:50 What we know and what we don't #aviation #atc #planecrash #flying #plane