ATLANTA — Three people were killed Friday evening when a small plane headed from Georgia to Florida crashed into a ravine after taking off from a Hall County airport, authorities said.
The single-engine Cessna 182 crashed just after 6 p.m. about two miles northeast of Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Emma Duncan said.
“The aircraft crashed shortly after departing from Gainesville on a planned flight to Daytona Beach,” Duncan said.
Hall County Fire Services spokesman Zach Brackett said the plane went down just north of Memorial Park Drive.
“Three adult occupants were found deceased and it was confirmed with the FAA that this matches the occupants reported to them for this flight,” Brackett said.
Damage was reported between Titshaw Drive and Memorial Park Drive, Brackett said, adding that four adults and a child were displaced after fuel from the plane landed on their home. No other injuries have been reported.
The plane’s occupants have not been identified. Their bodies will be taken to the Hall County coroner’s office, officials said. It’s unclear what caused the crash, but the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have been called in to investigate.
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