3 People Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Rural Tennessee Airport
The crash occurred on Saturday, April 26, near Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in Sparta, Tenn., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in a news release. A Mooney M20TN plane, which was carrying three people, crashed south of the airport around noon local time, per the FAA.
All three people on board were killed, airport officials confirmed to NBC News, Fox News and ABC affiliate WKRN.
Upper Cumberland Regional Airport did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Dean Selby, the director of Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, told NBC News that the small, single-engine plane had departed from Alabama.
Around 11:50 a.m. local time, officials at the Sparta airport received reports of an aircraft going down and, shortly after, received word from the Memphis Air Traffic Control Center, who said it lost contact with an aircraft, Selby said.
The Mooney M20TN plane was already descending into Upper Cumberland when it crashed, the director told NBC News.
Following the fatal crash, first responders and emergency staff were able to find the crash site after the airport sent up a plane of its own to search for it, he told NBC News. Photos shared by the outlet show 14 different vehicles on the site, which was located in a grassy area near a tree line.
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Speaking with NBC News, the director described the area where the wreck was discovered as 'remote.' It was located about a mile south of the airport, he told WKRN.
The FAA arrived at the scene a few hours after the crash, Selby told NBC News. The agency will investigate the crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates, per the FAA.
As for the identities of the victims of the fatal crash, the airport will not be releasing any information until next of kin are notified, Selby informed NBC News.
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