The local aviation community is mourning the loss of Michael “Cole” Robinson, a 23-year-old Lakeland resident and an experienced young pilot, following a fatal crash on Monday evening, June 15, 2026.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Grady Judd, along with federal investigators, have released the initial details regarding the tragic incident.
The Details of the Incident
- The Flight Plan: Around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Robinson departed from Bartow Executive Airport in a single-seat, experimental aircraft. A friend flying a separate aircraft departed from Lakeland Linder International Airport around the same time. The two young pilots planned to meet in the skies north of Lakeland to conduct a formation flight.
- The Crash: Shortly before 8:00 p.m., authorities received a 911 call reporting a downed plane. The wreckage was located in a remote, heavily wooded cow pasture about a mile west of Moore Road (roughly 3.5 miles north of Old Polk City Road). Robinson was tragically pronounced deceased at the scene.
- Eyewitness Account: The surviving pilot, who was flying nearby, told investigators he briefly looked away and then looked back just in time to see a piece separate from Robinson’s low-wing aircraft. He witnessed the plane appear to come apart mid-flight before it descended rapidly and crashed straight into the ground. The second pilot was able to record the exact coordinates of the crash, allowing emergency crews to navigate the rural terrain and reach the site within five minutes.
Remembering “Cole” Robinson
Despite his young age, Robinson was already a deeply rooted and highly respected figure in the Central Florida aviation circle:
- He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences from Polk State College.
- He was an active member of the Lakeland Aeroclub for several years and grew up through programs at the Aerospace Center for Excellence.
- He was a certified flight instructor, a glider tow pilot for the Seminole-Lake Gliderport, and had professional experience working at both Winter Haven Regional Airport, Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base, and as an Airside Operations Technician at Bartow Executive Airport.
Tributes have poured in from local aviation organizations, remembering him as a talented, passionate pilot who was actively living out his dream career.
What’s Next
While the Sheriff’s Office handles the death investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have taken over the technical investigation. Federal teams will spend the coming months reviewing the physical wreckage, structural integrity of the experimental plane, flight path data, and maintenance records to determine exactly what caused the aircraft to break apart mid-flight.