Maryville, Tenn. — A small plane crash on Saturday morning in White County has claimed the lives of three individuals. The victims have been identified as pilot Jonathan Braun, and passengers Dylan Clay Davis and his wife, Kelsie Lynn Davis, both of Alabama. The crash occurred just before noon, in a field off Almyra Road.
According to Dean Selby, Director of the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, the plane went down after being spotted by a witness who immediately alerted 911. Authorities struggled to locate the wreckage initially, prompting one of the airport’s pilots to take to the skies in search of the crash site. The pilot was able to identify the location from an aerial viewpoint, which led rescuers to the scene.
“We run anywhere from 90 to some days 200 to 300 operations a day, and this is the first accident I’m aware of that this airport has had in 15-16 years that involved a fatality,” Selby stated. The airport has a solid safety record, making this tragedy all the more rare and somber.
At this time, the cause of the crash remains undetermined. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated an investigation into the incident on Sunday. Both agencies will work to determine the factors that led to the deadly crash.
As of now, no further details have been released, but authorities are continuing their investigation in hopes of providing closure to the families affected by this tragic event. The Upper Cumberland community and beyond are left mourning the loss of the three lives, as they await answers from the ongoing inquiry.
