Family of 6 killed in plane crash in Fla. swamp

In this photo provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, emergency personnel investigate the site where a Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turboprop passenger plane, crashed near Lake Weohyakapka, aka Lake Walk In the Water, in southeast Polk County, Fla. on Thursday, June 7, 2012. / AP Photo/Polk County Sheriff's Office

(AP) LAKE WALES, Fla. - A Kansas businessman, his wife and their four children were killed Thursday when their small plane crashed into a swampy area of central Florida, authorities said.

The single-turboprop, fixed wing plane broke apart and went down about 12:30 p.m. in the Tiger Creek Preserve, just south of Lake Wales, the Polk County Sheriff's office said. Ronald Bramlage, 45, was piloting the plane headed from the Bahamas to Junction City, Kan. The family had stopped for customs in Fort Pierce, Fla., and had taken off a half-hour before the crash.

The 2006 Pilatus PC-12/47 was at about 26,000 feet when it first began experiencing trouble, officials said. Deputies reached the area by helicopters but it was clear there were no survivors, the sheriff's office said.

The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but parts of were found two miles from the crash site, which was only reachable by helicopters and all-terrain vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation but a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said it would take a long time.

Ronald Bramlage was a prominent businessman in Junction City and owned Roadside Ventures LLC, to which the plane was registered. Also killed were his wife, Rebecca Bramlage, 43, and their four children, whose ages were not released.

The couple were graduates of Kansas State University, and members of the K-State Alumni Association, President's Club, Foundation Trustees and Ahearn Fund.

"We are shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the deaths of Ron and Becky Bramlage and their children today," said a joint statement released by University President Dr. Kirk Schulz and Athletics Director John Currie. "The Bramlage family holds a special place in the history of Kansas State University and K-State Athletics, and Ron and Becky have been loyal supporters and great fans of K-State. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bramlage family during this difficult time."

Ron was the grandson of the late Fred Bramlage, a 1935 graduate of K-State and Junction City businessman. Fred Bramlage was the lead contributor to the construction of Bramlage Coliseum, a multi-purpose arena that opened in 1988 and is home to the K-State men's and women's basketball teams.

The 4,900-acre Tiger Wood Preserve about 50 miles southwest of Orlando contains hardwood swamps, hammocks, scrubby flatwoods, pine flatwoods, sandhill and longleaf pine/wiregrass habitat, according to its website.

[57vw]

I don't know but the cabin of that plane is pretty much intact, it looks like a very survivable crash doesn't it?

[FoolKiller]

My thoughts exactly.

[Floridano]

I live very near where this happened in Lake Wales. The weather was very bad in the morning, and was just clearing briefly when this occurred. It seems obvious that some sort of structural failure led to the decompression of the aircraft, causing all aboard to become unconscious. It then entered a flat spin, decelerated, and 'pancaked' into the ground at rather low speed. The structural failure was apparently enough to eject one victim, probably at high altitude.

[bbarnes5557]

Most likely he was in IFR conditions and became disoriented and thus overstressed the aircraft. Also the area was experiencing unsettled weather.Very sad indeed...

[RichEE76]

A couple of corrections to this article. The correct area is "Tiger Creek Preserve"
What we call swamp here in Florida does not always contain water, this area is mostly Oak and Pine trees, palmetto bushes and sandy soil.

[AnnieDanny]

Yes, and palmetto is worse than "swamp" to get through it. Wicked stuff.

[marine1957]

The Pilatus PC-12/47 is a high-speed, complex aircraft, whose main market is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.
Its service ceiling is 30,000 ft and it is flown about 100 mph over-the-fence to land.
This is an airplane to be operated by professional, full-time pilots, not part-time hobby pilots.
A recent private pilot flying a Pilatus PC-12/47 was warned by ATC about rime ice, to which the pilot responded: "There's nothing up here this plane can't handle."
Less than 15 minutes later, he lost control and crashed on a highway killing himself and his entire family.

[Tobi86]

What a surprise and a good feeling to see so many people going after the ill of heart, bitter tounged, evil worded, heartless sob who is obviously so envious he can't breathe a sympathetic word. It is so refreshing to read the rejections from kind and caring people. God rest their souls as they are surely all whith Him together.

[sobobx]

I can just picture this guy yelling at his neighbor's kid for taking a short cut across the front corner of his lawn.

[ugacrew]

Why wouldn't you "just picture" something positive? Well, you can't get anything clean out of a dirty container, can you?

[jesse2159]

Planes don't simply break apart at 26,000 feet. There needs to be a review for metal fatigue depending on the number of take off's and landings that stressed the aircraft. Or, just as likely, too much weight in the thinner air. Still a terrible accident with so many young lives lost.

[enlightenu]

It doesn't look like it broke apart, but if parts started coming off then more than likely it happened after control was lost.

[ugacrew]

This is what is wrong with the world today, too many cold, heartless people.

[nohater]

making a leap and assuming the man was somewhat wealthy. then why not buy the family first class tickets on a majory airline to the bahamas and back to kansas? their last moments of life had to be filled with terror. sorry they are all dead. really wish he had done the first class tickets on an airline.