UPDATE: The pilot killed in the crash has been confirmed to be 75-year-old Thomas Russell Harvey, a Jacksonville resident, by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
A small plane crashed in southern Flagler County on Friday, killing the pilot according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The Cessna 208 Caravan went down in the woods near the border with Volusia County, initiating a search to locate the craft deep within the treeline. The pilot was believed to be the only person on-board.
“We had a pretty big area to search because we didn’t have an exact location,” said Sheriff Rich Staly in a press conference following the incident. He also revealed that the plane had departed from Sebastian Municipal Airport in Indian River County and was on its way to Palatka Municipal Airport in Putnam County.
What Happened to the Plane
Staly continued saying departure was at around 5:30 pm, contact was lost with the plane at around 7:30 pm, the FCSO was notified of the development at around 8:00 pm. “It was about the worst conditions you could imagine to try and find an aircraft,” Staly said, referring to poor visibility in the area. “We started walking in this area and noticed the smell of fuel.” With the assistance of the Volusia Air One helicopter, the wreckage was discovered Saturday.
Attempts were made to contact the pilot both by air traffic control and by the phone number of who they believed it to be. Both were unsuccessful. In the hours and days following the crash, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office worked to manage the scene and assist the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as they conducted an investigation.
The circumstances of the crash are still somewhat unclear. Staly indicated the plane had plenty of fuel when it went down, having left with a full tank. He raised the possibilities of a mechanical or medical incident, but deferred to the investigation by the FAA. The plane’s owner is Eagle Air Transport, an Illinois-based company.
Background on the Plane
“We became aware around 8 p.m. last night that there was an incident involving one of our aircraft,” said Eagle Air Transport President Rook Nelson in a statement reported by WESH. “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 plane being flown in the incident is a single-engine craft, said to hold up to nine passengers in the cabin. Its production began in 1982, and it remains a popular model with FedEx and the air forces of Brazil, Afghanistan, and Colombia. It’s also a commonly used model for skydiving.
