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Pilot killed in Flagler County plane crash identified

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Updated  February 17, 2025 8:39pm EST
Flagler County
FOX 35 Orlando

Pilot killed in Florida plane crash: 'Flying was his life'

"Flying was his life." That's how a friend will remember Thomas Russell Harvey, 75, a pilot who died earlier this week when his plane crashed in a remote part of Flagler County. Harvey was flying from Sebastian to Palatka when his plane dropped off radar and descended rapidly, officials said. The NTSB and FAA are investigating what happened.

The Brief

    • The pilot of the plane that crashed in Flagler County has been identified, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
    • The wreckage from the crash has been recovered and taken to a facility in Jackonsville, the NTSB said.
    • The pilot and plane were flying from Sebastian, Florida, to Palatka, Florida. The plane dropped from radar and was found in a remote, wooded area.

The pilot of a deadly plane crash in Flagler County has been identified. 

What we know:

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as 75-year-old Thomas Russell Harvey of Jacksonville, Florida.

In a statement, the NTSB said the plane wreckage has been taken to a secure facility in Jacksonville, Florida, where it would be further examined. It's unclear how long that process will take.

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A missing plane crashed overnight in a wooded area in Flagler County, officials said. The pilot, the only person aboard the plane, is presumed dead, the sheriff said. Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office

NTSB: Pilot made a right turn and fell from radar

The backstory:

The FAA and NTSB said the 10-seat Cessna 208 plane took off from Sebastian Airport around 5 p.m. on Friday and was expected to land at the Palatka Airport – about 160 miles or so away. The pilot was the only person onboard.

Officials said the plane appeared to have lost contact with air traffic control and radar – and appeared to have descended rapidly. The NTSB said the plane made a right turn during the flight and then disappeared from the radar.

Flagler County deputies and Volusia Sheriff's Office's helicopter crew found the wreckage around 1 a.m. Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area near the Flagler-Volusia county lines.

VSO helicopter find plane crash wreckage

Video from Volusia County Sheriff's Office's helicopter shows the moment crews found the wreckage of a crashed plane in Flagler County, The pilot, the only person aboard the aircraft, is presumed dead, officials said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Sheriff Rick Staly said conditions were tough to find the plane due to it being in a remote area, pitch black, and with heavy cloud cover.

"Worst conditions you could imagine to find an aircraft," said Sheriff Staly, noting that it was pitch black with heavy cloud cover. He said deputies smelled fuel, which helped teams work together to keep the search to a specific area.

Sheriff Staly said the pilot was presumed dead based on the debris field and how the plane appeared to have struck the ground. He said it appeared that the plane hit the ground nose first.

What we don't know:

Officials: Plane was headed to Palatka for skydiving

What we know:

Rook Nelson, president of EagleAir Transport, an Illinois-based aviation company, said one of its planes was involved in the crash, but that it was leased out to another company.

Sheriff Staly told reporters that the type of plane involved was typically used for skydiving missions and that he was told it was to be used for upcoming skydiving flights.

What we don't know:

The cause of the crash is unknown. 

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