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FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — The man killed in a plane crash in Flagler County on Friday was identified as a 75-year-old man from Jacksonville, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday afternoon.
The man, identified as 75-year-old Thomas Russell Harvey, was killed when the plane he was flying crashed in a wooded area in Flagler County.
“On behalf of the entire Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Rick Staly sends his condolences to the victim’s friends and family,” the news release said.
What happened?
The plane, a Cessna 208 model, took off from Sebastian Municipal Airport around 5:50 p.m. Friday and was headed to a destination in Palatka, an NTSB official said in a statement.
Authorities said Harvey, who was the only passenger aboard, took a right turn and disappeared from radar. The plane crashed in a heavily wooded area around 6:40 p.m. Friday and was discovered just after midnight.
Staly said the plane was “unrecognizable,” when crews found it.
First Coast News confirmed the plane was en route to Palatka Municipal Airport for a skydiving company to use. An instructor at Skydive Palatka said they were counting on this plane, which could hold about a dozen people, to help get skydivers in the air Saturday.
Instead, the company rescheduled all their flights and closed for the day after the crash.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the final crash report expected to take 12 to 24 months.
The NTSB said investigators will be requesting radar data, weather information, maintenance records and the pilot’s medical records. They will then look at the pilot, machine and environment as the outline of the investigation.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash, NTSB said. The report will include “factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation.”
The probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors will be included in the final report.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
