OWENSBORO, Ky. — An hours-long search for a missing plane has ended after both pilots were found dead Thursday morning.
Police said a flight instructor and student pilot went missing Wednesday night after a plane they were flying crashed off KY 264 in Ohio County, Ky.
The Ohio County Coroner's office identified the victims as 22-year-old Timothy McKellar Jr. and 18-year-old Connor Quisenberry.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) said a debris field was located early Thursday morning. Three drones and an airplane were launched to search the area.
Paperwork associated with the plane was found in a heavily wooded area behind the New Pather Creek Church.
The airplane, a Piper PA 28-161, was initially reported missing by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), KSP Trooper Corey King said in a social media post.
At 10:55 p.m. CT, Owensboro/Daviess County Central Dispatch received a report from the Evansville Airport Control Tower about a possible plane crash near Whitesville, in Daviess County.
The plane was flying from Bowling Green to Owensboro when the tower lost contact.
An initial search was set up based on information from the flight path, cell phone pings of the pilot’s cell phone and the Life360 app, according to police.
At the time of the suspected crash, a severe thunderstorm had developed in the area.
KSP, the FAA and NTSB are currently investigating the incident.
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