Authorities say five people are dead after a small plane crashed in Florida's Lake Okeechobee. 

A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office news release says marine unit deputies and rescue workers recovered the bodies from the plane's fuselage several hours after the Friday afternoon crash.

Officials say the twin-engine Piper aircraft went down about 400 yards (365 meters) from the giant lake's southeast shore, just north of the Pahokee Airport. Records show the plane had taken off from Tampa International Airport.

The sheriff's office is investigating the deaths. The victims weren't immediately identified.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

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