WATKINSVILLE, Ga. – A Michigan couple was killed in a small plane crash in Oconee County, Georgia on Wednesday.
According to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, a small plane that departed from Leesburg, Florida, and was set to arrive in Barrow County, Georgia, crashed in a field in Oconee County at 2:36 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26.
The two people onboard the plane at the time of the crash did not survive. Officials identified the passengers and shared a statement from family on Friday.
According to the family’s statement, the two individuals killed in the crash were Robert Denton, 76, and Sandra Denton, 75 -- residents of Williamsburg, Michigan; Clare, Michigan; and The Villages, Florida.
The two seasoned pilots were flying their single-engine Cessna 177B airplane from Florida to Georgia when they crashed. The family says the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
“While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying,” the family said in their statement. “Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know.”
In the statement, family said they were grateful for the outpouring of support, but asked for privacy at this time.