Wreckage of missing plane found in Florida woods
BUNNELL, Fla. (WFLA) — A plane that went missing Friday night was found early Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area in north Florida.
Just after midnight, the Flager County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice that deputies were searching for an aircraft that went down after losing contact with the Palatka Municipal Airport around 7 p.m.
The 2012 Cessna 208 Caravan plane lost contact while roughly 900 feet up in the air and was “descending rapidly.” The pilot was on their way to the airport in Palatka, flying the plane deputies believe to have been used for skydivers.
Sheriff Rick Staly with FCSO said it appears the small plane plummeted straight down and crashed. He added that it is likely the private plane’s solo passenger, the pilot, did not survive. Their identity remains unknown at this time.
The incident prompted a large police presence overnight in the area of SR-11 in Bunnell.
In a Saturday morning update, the sheriff’s office located the plane after smelling fuel near the Flagler County and Volusia County lines in a dense wooded area. However, deputies said there was no indication there was a fire.
In a press conference Saturday, the sheriff said the plane left Sebastian-Roseland Municipal Airport around 5 p.m. The aircraft was leased from Eagle Air Transport, based in Chicago.
Officials with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office are expected to remain active in the area for several days as recovery operations continue.
“We extend our condolences to the loved ones and family,” Sheriff Staly said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will take over the investigation and determine if the crash was from a mechanical or technological issue.
