HICKORY, N.C. — A devastating plane crash into Lake Hickory claimed the lives of two people on a sad Sunday morning. Pilot Jeffrey Jay Cooley, 63, from Granite Falls, and passenger Brian Frank Miller, 49, from Hickory, lost their lives in the crash, in keeping with state freeway patrol investigators.
The incident opened up round 11:30 a.m. on Sunday when a plane departed from Hickory Regional Airport. Tragically, it collided with high-tension power traces spanning the lake. The affect ended in a right away response from police and firefighters, as well as agencies from Alexander, Caldwell, and Catawba counties.
Breaking Hickory- police and fireplace have responded to a plane crash in Lake Hickory. Firefighters say the plane struck high stress energy lines causing standard outages north of downtown. Watch channel 9 for updates on this creating story. pic.twitter.com/cjLruGEMq8
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) August 13, 2023
Jeff Cooley, the pilot, was once extensively appeared through his fellow aviators as a safety-conscious and meticulous flyer. His dedication to aviation safety earned him deep respect amongst his peers.
Both Jeffrey Wofford and Joe Brannock, fellow pilots, highlighted Cooley’s conscientious nature when it got here to flying. The aircraft involved was an amphibious plane with retractable wheels, permitting it to land on each water bodies and standard airports.
Brannock shared that Cooley’s generosity extended past the skies. Cooley was identified to volunteer for transporting rescue canines to their new properties, demonstrating his outstanding character and kindness.
The aftermath of the crash left an important affect on the native area. Duke Energy reported that over 18,000 customers skilled power outages due to the downed transmission traces due to the crash. However, via 1:30 p.m., energy was absolutely restored for all affected customers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is lately investigating the incident. Although no mechanical problems have been reported up to now, investigators are actively looking for witnesses who seen the crash to realize additional insights.
As the FAA works to know the circumstances that resulted in this tragic event, the wreckage has been relocated to the coastline of Lake Hickory. The investigation goals to uncover the details of the crash, because the aviation neighborhood and native citizens mourn the lack of Jeffrey Jay Cooley and Brian Frank Miller.
ncG1vNJzZmiin5fAo7vTrGWcp51kt6ayxaucsmWalsZur86oo56xXZa7pXnBq6Capl2bv6K6ymakoqScmr9usMieqmahnmK5orfEZp%2Bim5ukv7p5z6WYp51dmL%2Biv8do