What was supposed to be a joyful ride in the skies among friends ended in tragedy when the Cessna 182A single-engine plane crashed in rural North Carolina, claiming the lives of the three men aboard.
The crash took place after the plane took off from Johnson County, Tennessee, late on July 7.
When the Cessna failed to reach its destination later that evening, officials reported it missing to authorities in McDowell County, located about 80 miles north of Rock Hill.
Emergency crews discovered the wreckage on July 8, with the pilot and two passengers found dead at the scene.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol identified the victims as pilot Adam Plummer and passengers Scott George and Charles Mather Jr.
Scott George was a skydive instructor at Skydive Carolina in Chester.
The ill-fated plane was registered to Airstar Aviation of Chester. The company issued a statement revealing that the aircraft was en route to Rutherfordton, North Carolina, which is situated about 20 miles south of the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now leading the investigation into the crash.
