A small plane tragically crashed into Lake Hickory in western North Carolina on Sunday, August 13, after colliding with a power line. The accident resulted in the death of both passengers on board.
The deceased were identified as Jeffrey Jay Cooley, 63, and Brian Miller, 49. The crash occurred at approximately 11:30 am.
Sarah Killian, a spokesperson for the town of Hickory, reported a significant power outage post-accident, impacting over 10,000 customers. Local news agencies covered the power disruption, but by the early afternoon, Duke Energy had successfully restored electricity.
The aircraft, a Scoda Aeronautica Super Petrel, had just taken off from Hickory Regional Airport when the unfortunate event occurred.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are collaboratively investigating the incident to understand the underlying causes.
Multiple agencies from Alexander, Caldwell, and Catawba counties responded to the crash at Lake Hickory, a popular 4,000-acre recreational spot.
