Walker County officials have released the names of the two men tragically killed in the plane crash at the Barwick-LaFayette Airport on Thursday. LaFayette Public Safety Director Stacey Meeks confirmed the identities as 48-year-old Russel Edward Jones of LaFayette and 52-year-old Steven Boyd Powell of Cartersville, using information obtained from their phones.

According to Meeks, Powell owned the aircraft and Jones was acting as a pilot instructor. While Powell was a certified pilot, he was reportedly working to upgrade his license, potentially to a commercial pilot status. “The flight instructor was there with him, and they were doing what was described to us as a very routine flight pattern that is very consistent with other pilots that are doing like check off skills to upgrade their license,” Meeks explained.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA confirmed that witness statements are aiding their investigation. However, the cause of the crash remains unknown. “Whatever it was happened suddenly and quickly as they were attempting to land,” Meeks stated. The NTSB has taken the lead in the investigation, with investigators arriving at the crash site Friday morning. Jim Hall, Chairman of the Chattanooga Airport Authority Board, estimates the investigation could take six to twelve months. He emphasized the thoroughness of the process, comparing it to investigations of large commercial airliner crashes. Hall stated the investigation will examine pilot records, aircraft records, and conduct a detailed analysis, with the goal of providing answers to the families and preventing future accidents.

“We as a society value human life. It’s a very important investigation to the families involved, to the community of people that knew the loved ones, as well as the safety of aviation,” he said. Meeks expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and thanked the LaFayette community for their assistance in providing tips and information to investigators.

The NTSB’s findings will be released to the public upon completion of their investigation.