FAA Releases Preliminary Report On Small Plane Crash In Osage Beach

The Federal Aviation Administration has released its preliminary details into the double-fatality airplane accident late Thursday morning in Osage Beach.

The incident notification indicates that the make and model of the craft involved was a Piper-P-A-28 which contained the pilot and two passengers. The plane went down on its initial climb under unknown circumstances after taking off from the Grand Glaize Airport and then crashing into a wooded area near the old golf course on Route-KK.

Other known information about the crash includes: 22-year-old Hayden Ritchhart from Carrollton, who is believed to have been flying the plane and one passenger, 19-year-old Evan Vandiver of Richmond, were both pronounced dead at the scene. A second passenger, 54-year-old Gary Vandiver also from Richmond, was seriously hurt and flown to University Hospital.

Unconfirmed reports say that witnesses in the area of the airport claim the plane appeared to be having problems before it went down. It’s also known that the plane is registered under two business owners in Carrollton.

The F-A-A is investigating the cause of the accident.