From NewsChannel 9: UPDATE (Monday night): A pilot who died in a plane crash in Polk County Sunday has been identified. Meadow Surgica
From NewsChannel 9: UPDATE (Monday night):
A pilot who died in a plane crash in Polk County Sunday has been identified.
Meadow Surgical Arts identifies him on Facebook as Dr. Lionel Meadows.
Their Facebook post reads…
“Today, we mourn the tragic loss of our wonderful Dr. Lionel Meadows. Although the exact details are still unclear, Dr. Meadows’ small plane went down during a storm last night, May 7, 2023. He was traveling alone after a weekend of visiting with his family. Dr. Meadows was a beloved friend, mentor, and inspiration to many of us. He was a brilliant surgeon and doctor who touched the lives of so many with his kindness and passion for delivering exceptional patient care. Dr. Meadows was known for praying with each of his patients before surgery, and we ask for your prayers now as we mourn his death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We will be contacting you soon to confirm your future appointments at Meadows Surgical Arts, and we look forward to continuing the legacy of excellent patient care Dr. Meadows took such great pride in providing at our office. He will be deeply missed by us all.”
UPDATE (Monday afternoon): Polk County EMA Director Steve Lofty confirms that this crash was a deadly one.
Dozens of people are now working to recover the still-unidentified pilot’s body and the wreckage.
The FlightAware app shows the small plane took off from South Bend, Indiana at 4 pm on Sunday, but the flight data ends just before 7 pm over Reliance, Tennessee.
This image from FlightAware shows the plane that reportedly crashed.
According to the FAA a man in his 60s lost his life
That’s after his single-engine Cessna 182 lost detection before 7 pm over Reliance, Tennessee according to Flight Aware.
‘We found that he took off from Georgia and flew up to Indiana on Friday,” says Martin Campbell Field, Airport Manager.
Officials cannot confirm what exactly took the plane down Sunday night but experts believe the dangerous weather may have contributed to the crash.
“We’d had a severe storm front just a matter of a few minutes before this coming in maybe 20 minutes,” says Steven Lofty, EMA director for Polk County.
Polk County residents say Sunday night brought frightening winds and lightning.
According to Senior Meteorologist David Glenn, the closest airport observation in Cleveland reported wind from the East with gusts from 15-20mph at 7:35 p.m. and 7:55 p.m. Storms were in Polk County at the time.
Our lightning archive shows several strikes between 7:30 p.m. to 7:45p.m.
We spoke to Ray Stewart, Polk County resident and former pilot, about the crash.
“I was a pilot 40 years ago for the government, you know, and I would not be in a glider or or single engine plane at treetop level or, you know, 1,000 feet over the mounds flying in weather like yesterday,” says Stewart.
UPDATE (Monday morning):
Preliminary data from the Federal Aviation Administration’s website (FAA) shows the plane involved in a crash in Polk County Sunday night is registered out of Clarkesville, Georgia .
An FAA spokesperson told us
A single-engine Cessna 182 crashed near Reliance, Tennessee, around 7:30 p.m. local time Sunday, May 7. Only the pilot was on board.
The FAA database lists the accident as fatal although they aren’t releasing the pilot’s name.
An image taken from the FlightAware tracking app shows what may be the plane at the last moment it was detected on radar.
According to the plane’s tail number on the FAA incident database, it is registered to the Georgia Company of Aspiring Flyers.
According to Flightaware.com, the small plane took off from South Bend, Indiana at 4 pm on Sunday, but the flight data ends just before 7 pm over Reliance, Tennessee.
Kaji says the FAA will post a preliminary accident/incident report in the next day or so.
We have a crew on the scene working to get more details from officials.
EARLIER: The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene of a plane crash that happened Sunday night.
According to Sheriff Steve Ross, debris including the wing of the plane can be found off Fingerboard Road.
Officials say the debris can also be found near Towee Church.
Witnesses called the sheriff’s office about the crash but did not see smoke.
We have reached out to the FAA for more information.
We also have a crew headed to the scene.
No word at this time the cause of this crash or any injuries.
