3 dead after small plane crashes in Tennessee

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Three people are dead after a small plane crashed Wednesday in Williamson County, local officials confirmed.

Williamson County Chief Deputy Mark Elrod told reporters that the plane left Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was headed to Louisville, Kentucky, but around noon local time in Tennessee near Leiper’s Fork, about 30 miles (48, 28 kilometers) south of Nashville.

“It appears the plane broke up in mid-air,” Elrod said.

Elrod added that the debris field was more than a mile long, but no damaged buildings were reported.

The names of the victims were not released.

Williamson County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Jill Burgin said they received a 911 call around 12:05 p.m

“He just said a possible plane crash, but he didn’t have a lot of details,” Burgin told reporters during Wednesday’s news conference. “He just heard a noise and saw debris, so that was all the information he gave.”

The Federal Aviation Association has identified the aircraft as a single-engine Beechcraft V35.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.