Two Simpsonville residents died Tuesday when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The patrol identified those aboard as a 51-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man, both from Simpsonville. Their names have not been publicly released.
The Miller County Coroner’s Office said preliminary identifications have been made and people believed to be next of kin have been notified. Positive identification remains pending, however, and the office said it will withhold the names until that process is complete.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Cirrus SR22 and said it crashed in Lake of the Ozarks State Park around 2:15 p.m. local time Tuesday, November 3. Two people were aboard. The patrol said the plane had departed Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport and placed the crash near Public Beach Drive in Camden County.
The coroner’s office said Miller County E 9-1-1 received an emergency call about the crash at approximately 2:22 p.m. Responders from several agencies found the aircraft burning. Osage Beach Fire Protection District firefighters extinguished the fire, after which two people were found dead in the wreckage.
The coroner’s office is investigating the deaths, while federal aviation authorities will investigate the crash. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead that inquiry and provide further updates. The cause remains under investigation.
The NTSB’s fact-gathering process includes examining the accident site and collecting information such as flight logs, maintenance records and interviews. Its later analysis determines the probable cause; the initial collection of evidence does not establish why a plane crashed.
The board says a preliminary report for a regional airplane accident generally follows in about a month. That report contains factual information, rather than a determination of probable cause. The NTSB generally aims to finish an investigation within 12 to 24 months, although complexity and workload can change that timetable.
Please keep the victims’ families, loved ones and those affected here in Shelby County in your prayers.