Search crews located a small plane that went missing in a densely forested area of Umstead State Park outside Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Two people died in the crash, WRAL reports.
Umstead State Park is closed as recovery efforts continue.
Air traffic controllers from the Federal Aviation Administration lost radar contact with the plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32, near the airport just before 7:30 p.m Sunday, the News & Observer reports. The plane can seat up to six people. Runways were closed for about twenty minutes as firefighters and RDU crews responded.
WRAL identified the pilot in the crash as Dr. Harvey Partridge, a veterinarian from St. Petersburg, Florida with extensive flying experience. The identity of the other casualty is unclear.
Search efforts continued overnight, with State Highway Patrol helicopters looking for signs of heat on the ground which can indicate a crash site. A dozen other local emergency response teams engaged in the search.
“Umstead State Park is 5,200 acres of dense forest, with few roads and little to no light,” said RDU CEO Michael Landguth. “Recovery efforts are extremely challenging in remote areas and it could take a long time to find this plane.”
The plane was discovered just after 10 a.m., airport officials said.
BREAKING: According to incident command, ground crews have located what they believe to be the missing aircraft. More details soon, check https://t.co/9VGKZ1b0cC for updates.
— RDU Int’l Airport (@RDUAirport) October 21, 2019
“Authority personnel will continue to support the agencies involved in the search and rescue effort,” Landguth said in a press statement. “We ask that people avoid the area around Umstead State Park while search and rescue efforts are underway.”
The airport is fully operational at this time.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
ltauss@indyweek.com
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