Plane That Left Columbia Crashes in Georgia, Killing at Least 3

A small plane that took off from Columbia Metropolitan Airport on Tuesday afternoon crashed in Georgia, killing at least three people.

The crash happened around 4:30 p.m., according to multiple news reports. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Department in Georgia said in an evening briefing that the crash was called in by witnesses.

Oconee County is about 170 miles west of Columbia, just outside of Athens.

Officials found the small plane engulfed in flames. Local emergency personnel attempted to rescue passengers but were unable to because of the fire and damage to the aircraft, according to the sheriff’s department.

The victims have not been identified. According to the latest update from the sheriff’s department, three people onboard the plane.

Kim Jamieson, a spokesperson for Columbia Metropolitan Airport, confirmed the plane took off from the Columbia airport around 3 or 3:15 p.m., about an hour and a half before the crash. Jamieson did not immediately know the plane’s intended destination.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the plane was flying to Tuscaloosa National Airport in Alabama. Atlanta TV news station 11 Alive reported the plane was a Piper PA-46, a propeller-nosed, single-engine aircraft that can carry up to five passengers and a pilot.

The crash occurred about a quarter mile from a main road, about 500 yards from residences, according to the sheriff’s department. The debris field from the crash extended a little more than half a mile from the crash location, officials said.

Police said they were not immediately aware of any calls for distress, but the investigation is ongoing.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating and were assisting local agencies, officials said. The Oconee County coroner will take bodies of the deceased to Atlanta for autopsies and identification, officials said.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as more details become available.

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