Officials recovered the bodies of a student pilot and an instructor Thursday in western Kentucky after a plane crashed during a severe storm, according to WLKY.
The aircraft was reported missing Wednesday before 11:00 p.m, per WLKY. The airport control tower reportedly lost contact with the aircraft while it was traveling to Owensboro from Bowling Green during a severe storm, according to the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials found two bodies Thursday at around 10:30 a.m., the outlet reported. However, officials have yet to release the identities of those deceased. (RELATED: ‘Not Sure Where The Airplane Is’: 911 Audio Reveals Moment After Military Pilot Ejected Out Of Stealth Fighter Jet)
Two bodies were found following a plane crash in Ohio County after a widespread search had been launched for an instructor and student pilot, Kentucky State Police say. https://t.co/qGDPNMYFJt
— ABC News (@ABC) September 28, 2023
Units on foot and from the air conducted the search for both student pilot and instructor, WLWT reported. Units reportedly first searched the area around the Daviess-Ohio county line, extending into Ohio County after the storm passed.
Planes and drones reportedly aided the search when it later focused on the area behind New Panther Creek Church in Ohio County. Officials then found paperwork associated with a plane in a heavily wooded area, the sheriff said, according to WLWT.
Authorities initially thought the plane crashed in an area of heavy woods near Whitesville during the thunderstorm, according to WLKY. However, Kentucky State Police (KSP) reportedly later confirmed the crash occurred off KY 764.