A pilot was killed when a small plane crashed in a remote, heavily wooded area in Florida on Friday evening. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office helicopter, located the wreckage early Saturday morning after an extensive search.
The plane, a 2012 Cessna 208 used for skydiving, was reported missing after it lost contact with the Palatka Municipal Airport Friday evening and failed to arrive as scheduled.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described the challenging conditions faced by search crews, who worked through the night in darkness and challenging weather. The plane was eventually located after deputies noticed the smell of fuel, leading them to a smaller search area where the Volusia helicopter spotted one of the tires.
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“The plane was unrecognizable,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
The pilot, who was the only person on board, was confirmed deceased at the scene. The victim’s name has not yet been released.
Eagle Air Transport, an aerospace company based in Illinois, confirmed that the aircraft belonged to them and that the pilot was one of their experienced aviators.
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“We became aware around 8 p.m. last night that there was an incident involving one of our aircraft,” said Rook Nelson, president of Eagle Air Transport. “Around 6 p.m., an experienced pilot departed Sebastian, FL, en route to Palatka. The aircraft did not make it to its destination for unknown reasons. We have very little information beyond this and are working with local and federal authorities in the ongoing investigation.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. An NTSB investigator is expected to arrive at the scene on Saturday afternoon.
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