Wisconsin pilot identified as victim in deadly Graves County plane crash
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
GRAVES COUNTY, Ky., (KBSI) — Authorities have identified the pilot killed in a plane crash Sunday afternoon in Graves County, Kentucky.
According to Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden, 70-year-old James Alan Michaels of Dousman, Wisconsin, was piloting an L-39 Albatros jet that crashed around 2:08 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, in a field near Spence Chapel Road and Kentucky Highway 131.
Investigators said Michaels had just taken off from the Mayfield-Graves County Airport after refueling when he reported experiencing a problem with the aircraft.
Shortly after takeoff, Michaels contacted his daughter, 35-year-old Tonie Michaels, who was flying another L-39 Albatros jet, and told her he needed to return to the airport.
The aircraft crashed into a field shortly afterward.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies and Kentucky State Police arrived within minutes and found the aircraft engulfed in flames.
Tonie Michaels safely landed her aircraft at the Mayfield-Graves County Airport following the crash. She later returned to Wisconsin on a flight with an acquaintance Sunday evening.
An autopsy for James Michaels was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive at the crash site Monday to begin their investigations.
Authorities are asking the public to avoid the area while investigators continue their work.
The Graves County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Kentucky State Police, Mayfield-Graves County Fire and Rescue Squad, Mayfield-Graves County Ambulance Service, Graves County Coroner’s Office and Graves County Emergency Management.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
