Search crews find two dead after plane went missing near South Carolina coast
Two people were found dead after a small plane crashed in a wooded area near the runway at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, according to multiple reports.
Federal Aviation Administration says search crews found a Lightning LS-1 light sport aircraft about a quarter mile from the airport in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
There were two people on board, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in a statement.
“Air traffic controllers lost contact with a light sport aircraft as it was approaching Mt. Pleasant Regional Airport in South Carolina at about 10:30 p.m.,” Bergen said.
Officials did not say how many people were on the plane or where it was flying from.
The air traffic controllers issued an alert notice immediately, Bergen said, and officials began searching for the plane.
The search for the missing plane began again at sunrise after crews searched overnight, WCSC reports.
The U.S. Coast Guard is helping Mount Pleasant police and fire search the area, WCIV reports.
The FAA would not give the names or conditions of the victims, but local authorities confirmed that the two people on the plane had died, according to WCBD.
The Mount Pleasant Regional Airport is northeast of Charleston, between US 17 and the Wando River.
“The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine probable cause of the accident,” Bergen said.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Search crews find two dead after plane went missing near South Carolina coast."
