One Dead, Another Injured After Small Planes Crashes in Lafayette County

One person died and another was injured when a single-engine private plane crashed in Lafayette County Thursday night.

According to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, at 9:36 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s department received notification from the Union County Sheriff’s Office that a small private plane had not returned to the airport it took off from in Union County.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office provided a possible location off of County Road 249 in Lafayette County where a phone belonging to one of the plane’s occupants was pinging.

Lafayette County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived in the area at 9:42 p.m. and, with the assistance of the Lafayette County Fire Department, Lafayette County Emergency Management, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and Union County Emergency Management, began a search for the missing plane.

The wreckage of the plane was located and one of the occupants was found deceased.

The second occupant was initially missing, but at 12:19 a.m., was located with injuries and transported to a hospital.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and the identities of the occupants of the plane have not yet been released pending notification of their families.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are en-route to the crash site and will be leading the investigation.

“The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased occupant, and their thoughts and prayers are with the injured occupant for a speedy recovery,” said Lafayette County Public Information Officer Beau Moore.