David Starling, 41, Kim Smith, 42, and Hunter Starling, 8, die in small plane crash near Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Modified Date: 
Fri, 04/14/2017 - 8:50pm
Accident Date: 
Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Authorities: 3 killed in Tennessee plane crash

A reconnaissance flight by the Tennessee Army National Guard found the plane inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

A release from the National Park Service says the three on the plane were 41-year-old David Starling, 42-year-old Kim Smith and 8-year-old Hunter Starling, all from Bradford County, Florida.

The Cessna 182 aircraft was in route to the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport on Monday when it disappeared.

Son remembers Smokies plane crash victim

“She is one in a million. Her heart was bigger than anything I had every known. If she could help someone out, she was there,” said Smith.

NTSB: Visibility, steep descent factors in Smokies plane crash

At 3:58 p.m., the FAA reported the plane descended below the altitude the controller had cleared, which is 8,000 feet. At 4:02 p.m., tradar showed the plane was about 5,400 feet when the FAA says the plane disappeared.

People Involved: 
David Starling
Kim Smith
Hunter Starling

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