Pilot killed in Polk County plane crash identified

Officials have identified the pilot killed in a plane crash that occurred Monday night in Polk County.Michael ‘Cole Robinson, 23, died when his experimental, single-seater plane broke apart and crashed in a cow pasture, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.Investigators said that Robinson and his friend were planning to fly in formation the night of the crash.According to PCSO, Robinson took off from Lakeland, while his friend departed from Bartow.At about 7:54 p.m. Monday, authorities received a 911 call reporting that a plane had gone down.Firefighters said they reached the aircraft within five minutes, finding the wreckage in a cow pasture and woods about a mile west of Moore Road.Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference that the surviving pilot told investigators that he wrote down the exact location where his partner disappeared.He reported seeing a piece come off the low-wing aircraft just in time to watch the plane come apart and crash straight into the ground.While the second pilot witnessed the plane come apart, investigators have not determined exactly what caused the fatal malfunction.The FAA and NTSB will be continuing the investigation as to why the plane crashed.