Flagler County, FL – Update: The plane that crashed near Marineland in Flagler County was flown by a student from an area flight school and the passenger was an instructor.
Mohammed Alanazi, 27, from Saudi Arabia was a student pilot at Sunrise Aviation Flight School in Ormond Beach and was on a routine training trip. He had previously logged more than 200 flight hours.
The other person who died in the crash was 70-year-old Jeffrey Salan from Ormond Beach.
On Friday, the school canceled class and activities to tell teachers and students.
The Medical Examiner has confirmed their identities and next-of-kin has been notified.
Earlier Reporting:
A small plane crashed late Thursday night in a swampy area near Marineland in northeast Flagler County, killing at least one person and most likely killing two others.
The plane crashed at around 11 PM in a swampy area near the Matanzas, north of Palm Coast, near the border of Flagler and St. Johns County. The plane was on its way to Ormond Beach from Brunswick, GA. Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) believes there could have been three people on board. One person has been confirmed dead, and the Sheriff's Office does not expect there to be any survivors.
FCSO, Flagler County Fire Rescue, Volusia County Sheriff's Office, The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation all took part in a massive search effort to find debris from the plane and look for survivors. Some debris from the plane was found in the pre-dawn hours on the Matanzas River, and just after 11:30 AM, debris was found in the River to Sea Preserve by a news helicopter, according to FCSO.
"It is sad that our efforts did not lead to the rescue of the occupants of the aircraft," says Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. "I am thankful to our friends at Marineland and the assistance provided by the WESH-2 Helicopter team."
The National Transportation Safety Board is now taking over the investigation.
All photos of debris from crash courtesy of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
