At 8 p.m. on the night of Thursday, Dec. 17, the Madison County Sheriff's Department was alerted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that a small plane headed to the Tallahassee International Airport was reportedly missing. Air traffic controllers of Tallahassee lost contact with the plane as it traveled over Madison County.
When morning arrived, the Madison County Sheriff's Department worked alongside the Leon County Sheriff's Department to conduct a search for the missing plane and were able to locate the plane by helicopter. The plane was found at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 18 in a heavily wooded area off of Mosely Hall Road near Greenville.
Officials speculate that weather and low visibility could have been the cause of the crash. According to Sheriff Ben Stewart, the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are currently investigating further.