CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Multiple people are dead after a small plane crashed in Clay County Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it received several calls about the crash near the intersection of Carter Spencer Road and Violet Way in Middleburg.
Deputies responded and found the plane crashed in a wooded area.
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Several people were found dead inside, CCSO Sheriff Michelle Cook said during a news conference.
The Florida Highway Patrol, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is investigating.
“It’s not in anybody’s yard. It’s definitely in a wooded area and our deputies had to go through the woods, and the fire department had to go through the woods to get to the wreckage,” Cook said.
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Residents in the area have been let back into their homes, but the sheriff’s office is asking the general public to avoid the area.
FAA Media Relations Spokesperson Maria Njoku released the following statement:
“A single-engine aircraft crashed shortly after departure in a wooded area near Spencer’s Airpark in Middleburg, Fla., around 9 a.m. local time today. Three people were aboard. Please check with local authorities for the occupants’ names and medical conditions. The FAA will release the tail number of the aircraft after investigators verify it at the accident site. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates. Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and watch Action News Jax on FOX30 and CBS47 for the very latest.