PALATKA, Fla. — A pilot is dead after air traffic controller lost touch with the pilot and it disappeared from radar in Flagler County, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Rick Staly says the plane was en route to Palatka Municipal Airport from Sebastian with only the pilot on board.

An instructor at Skydive Palatka said they were counting on this plane to help get skydivers in the air Saturday.

Instead, they rescheduled all their flights and closed for the day after the crash.

“We have very little information about what exactly occurred, and our hearts go out to the friends and family members of the pilot,” said Skydive Palatka Manager Mariah, who didn’t want to share her last name.

Skydive Palatka was gearing up for a busy day on Saturday, so they ordered a plane from Sebastian that could carry about a dozen people since the planes they typically use can only handle four at a time.

That plane, and its pilot, who Skydive Palatka says had 50 years of experience, never made it – vanishing from radar over Flagler County.

“It was pitch dark last night,” said Staly “There was no moon, a lot of cloud coverage. I was here last night. It was about the worst conditions you could imagine to try to find an aircraft.”

Staley says the smell of fuel helped narrow down their search area.

Then, a law enforcement helicopter spotted a wheel.

“This plane is unrecognizable from the impact into the ground,” said Staly.

Staley says the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the cause of the crash.

Mariah says she has about 200 dives under her belt and has a message for anyone scared to try it after this crash.

“Overall, this sport has progressed a lot in the last several years,” said Mariah. “There’s a lot of safety measures in place with both gear as well as aircraft and pilot experience required, so this doesn’t happen frequently.”

Skydive Palatka has a big event coming up at the end of next month dedicated to helping veterans with PTSD, so they’re hoping that’ll be an opportunity to move past this tragedy.