4 dead in NC mountains plane crash
UNAKA, NC
The pilot of the Beech Baron 58 reported a fire onboard before
the crash Wednesday some 125 miles west of Asheville, said National
Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson. The plane was
flying from Atlanta to Hazard, Ky.
Although the identities of the four victims haven't been
released, the Lexington, Ky., Herald-Leader reported on its website
that three women from Knott County were supposed to be onboard.
Knudson told the newspaper that the pilot was cruising at 9,000
feet, which was well above the highest peaks in the area, when the
pilot reported an emergency because of a fire. Knudson said air
traffic controllers lost radio and radar contact with the plane
soon after the emergency call.
Cherokee County Sheriff Keith Lovin said crews reached the crash
scene on Thursday and recovered all four bodies.
The plane typically has four to six seats and was registered to
Aero Resources Corp. of Hazard. The company has said it had no
information on the crash.
