A small aircraft that took off from Sebastian Municipal Airport last evening has crashed in a heavily wooded area of Flagler County, close to the Volusia County line. A 10-seater Cessna 208 Caravan crashed, killing the pilot. Officials confirmed there were no other passengers.
The plane, owned by Eagle Air Transport, lost contact with the Palatka Municipal Airport, its intended destination. The plane was scheduled to be used next week for a skydiving event.
The wreckage was discovered shortly after 8:15 a.m. Saturday by Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies, who were aided by a Volusia Sheriff’s Office helicopter. The dense, forested terrain hampered the search efforts overnight. The sheriff’s office indicated there was no evidence of fire or explosion.
Rook Nelson, president of Eagle Air Transport, released a statement to Sebastian Daily confirming the incident.
“We became aware around 8 p.m. last night that there was an incident involving one of our aircraft,” Nelson stated. “Around 6 p.m., an experienced pilot departed Sebastian, FL en route to Palatka. The aircraft did not make it to its destination for unknown reasons. We have very little information beyond this and are working with local and federal authorities in the ongoing investigation.”
The flight originated from Sebastian around 6 p.m. Friday evening with an experienced pilot. The name of the pilot has not been released. The circumstances surrounding the loss of contact and subsequent crash remain unclear.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that an investigator is en route to the crash site and is expected to arrive this afternoon. The NTSB will lead the investigation into the cause of the accident.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information regarding the flight or possible sightings of the aircraft to contact them at 386-313-4911.
Further updates will be provided as they become available.
