2 bodies found after small plane crash off Florida Panhandle

Published: Updated:
MGN

DESTIN, Fla. (AP) – Search crews recovered two bodies late Thursday after a plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Panhandle, law enforcement officials said.

The man and woman are believed to have been the only people on board the Piper Archer aircraft, which was registered in Texas, according to a news release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Federal Aviation Administration investigators were working to determine the cause of the crash, according to the news release.

The plane was reported overdue by the Destin airport Thursday evening. Dispatchers later received a 911 call from a man who reported seeing a small prop plane go down near Henderson Beach, the sheriff’s office said.

Search crews found the body of the woman in the water around 9 p.m. and the body of the man about 45 minutes later, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities have not released their names or hometowns.

Searchers also recovered personal items and aircraft debris from the crash in the water and on the beach, the officials said.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.