All three people on board were killed Wednesday when a small plane crashed near Franklin, Tennessee, authorities said.
The single-engine Beechcraft V35 crashed around noon local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane had departed Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was headed to Kentucky when the crash occurred, Williamson County Sheriff Mark Elrod told reporters in a news briefing Wednesday evening.
“It was quickly apparent that this would be a search and recovery operation, not a search and rescue operation,” Elrod said.
According to Elrod, first responders arrived to find a “fairly large debris field.” Williamson County Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Galoppi revealed the debris field is estimated to be about half a mile long.
Officials aren't sure where the crash started or ended, Elrod said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.
“It appears the plane crashed in mid-air, but we're not sure what caused it,” Elrod said.
The names of the victims were not immediately released.
Franklin is located about 20 miles south of Nashville.
