A small plane carrying four prominent residents from Kosciusko County crashed near Clemson, South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. The four people aboard the plane, which took off from Warsaw, died. (Photo supplied/Oconee County Emergency Services)
WARSAW, Ind. (WOWO): The Oconee County County, South Carolina, Coroner released the names of the four Kosciusko County residents killed in a small plane crash, Friday, Oct. 2, near Clemson, South Carolina.
The four were identified as Charles D. Smith, 71, who was the pilot, Scott A. Smith, 44, Tony L. Elliott, 54, Scott D. Bibler, 51. Charles Smith was a Warsaw City Councilman and former Tippecanoe Valley High School Football Coach. His son, Scott, was an attorney in Warsaw.
Tony Elliott was the owner of Elliott's Cars and Carts in Warsaw and had recently retired from local Sprint Cup racing. Scott Bibler was a former Tippecanoe Valley High School Football Coach according to our reporting partners at News Now Warsaw.
The four were heading to the Notre Dame/Clemson football game, according to WSPA-TV. The plane was registered to Smith Family Aviation LLC in Warsaw, owned by Charles Smith.
Oconee County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Adam Williams said the crash happened Friday afternoon on the shore of Lake Hartwell in a remote area. Williams said first responders found debris on the ground and in the water before reaching the site. He said no one survived.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Berger said in an email that the wreckage of the Piper PA-32 was found on the Georgia-South Carolina border. She said the plane was headed to the airport in Clemson, South Carolina, when air traffic controllers lost contact with the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration received a mayday transmission at 3:15 p.m., according to Greenville Online.
Conditions around the Oconee airport were described as “dismal” by an official at the Oconee County Regional Airport, Greenville Online reported. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
ORIGINAL STORY:
WALHALLA, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane crashed near a lake in South Carolina, killing all four people on board.
