A prominent doctor and nurse practitioner were the two people killed Thursday in a small plane crash near the Tampa Executive Airport.
Hillsborough sheriff’s officials identified the pair late Thursday night as David Siambanes and Dawn Stone.
Siambanes, 59, was an osteopathic physician who specialized in treating spinal disordersin children. He was the founder of the Children’s Scoliosis Center and had served as the director of the scoliosis center at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.
In 2016, the Arthritis Foundation of Florida honored Siambanes for his work treating juvenile arthritis. Siambanes had also drawn significant notice for his research into the effect of heavy backpacks on children’s spinal health.
He was featured in a 2011 Tampa Bay Times story about a teen with cerebral palsy who credited Siambanes with giving her a new life.
“You have taken my pain away; you have given me back my childhood,” the girl, Amanda Myers, wrote in a poem to Siambanes. “Because of your gift as a surgeon, I have a new life.”
Stone, 53, was a nurse practitioner affiliated with AdventHealth who specialized in adult bone health, treating osteoporosis and related disorders. She spoke about her passion for her work in a video produced by AdventHealth.
“I get to educate people about how to take care of themselves and hopefully make an impact in their lives,” she said in the video.
In a statement Friday, AdventHealth said it was “heartbroken” by her loss.
“Dawn dedicated herself to caring for others and her loss is deeply felt by the colleagues and care teams who had the privilege of working alongside her,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Dawn’s family, loved ones and colleagues as we mourn her loss.”
BayCare Health System, which oversees St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, also issued a statement Friday praising Siambanes and Stone for their work and expressing condolences to their families.
“We are grateful for their many contributions and the difference they made in the lives of so many,” the statement read. “They will be greatly missed.”
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews work to put out the flames after a small plane crashed into a wooded area near Tampa Executive Airport on Thursday morning.
Siambanes and Stone shared an address in South Tampa.
The plane, a Lancair Evolution single-engine light aircraft, was registered to a company owned by Siambanes. The aircraft was a “kit model” plane, according to federal aviation records. Kit planes are small airplanes that are assembled by their owners.
Siambanes was a licensed commercial pilot.
The flight plan before the crash had the aircraft heading to Elizabeth City, North Carolina,according to publicly available records.
The plane took off about 8:14 a.m. from the Tampa Executive Airport. It reached an altitude of about 225 feet before crashing minutes later in woods between U.S. 301 and the Tampa Bypass Canal, just west of the airport.
Hillsborough firefighters found the plane engulfed in flames. The blaze was extinguished in minutes.
Siambanes and Stone were both dead in the wreckage.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating the cause of the crash.