POTTER COUNTY, Pa. — Three people were killed when a small plane that took off from Richmond, Virginia crashed in Potter County, Pennsylvania, according to the Potter County coroner.
The crash victims were identified as Rifat Tawig, 25, Cory Mijac, 18, and Benjamin Jeffries, 18, of Ontario, Canada, Pennsylvania State Police told the Associated Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations into the crash were ongoing, he said.
The Piper Cherokee airplane took off from Richmond on Sunday evening. The wreckage was found Monday in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The plane was scheduled to land at the St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport on Sunday evening, according to FlightAware.
The FAA released a statement concerning the missing plane that read:
The FAA lost radar contact near Potter County, PA with a Piper PA28 that was enroute from Richmond International Airport to St Catherine/Niagara District Airport, Canada October 16 at 6:58 pm. The FAA issued a notice to air traffic facilities, pilots and airports to report to the FAA if they locate the aircraft. Local authorities are also conducting a search for the aircraft. This statement will be updated when more information becomes available.
