A search is under way near Lake Park at a plane that disappeared off radar Monday night after the pilot, Rick Poppell of Jesup, reported trouble, officials said.
WALB TV is reporting that Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson confirmed that a body has been recovered at the plane crash scene in Lowndes County.
Lowndes County Sheriff Rick Prine said about 50 people were searching for the plane Tuesday morning and that a Georgia State Patrol helicopter is coming to the area to assist, WALB TV reported.
Wayne County Sheriff John Carter said he was advised that Poppell’s plane was missing Monday night.
“The FAA from Jacksonville asked us to check the airport here,’’ Carter said. “I’m assuming he was heading this way.”
FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the agency issued an alert for a missing aircraft in the vicinity Monday night. The plane was a single engine Diamond Aircraft DA 40, she said.
Bergen said she had no information on the number of people aboard.
Echols County Sheriff Randy Courson said a search began Monday night but called off because of dense fog.
Poppell owns Poppell’s Produce, which sells produce around the country and is well known locally for its pumpkin patch on the family farm north of Jesup that is visited by school groups before Halloween.
Poppell’s Produce also sets up Christmas tree lots in Southeast Georgia, and Carter said he was told Poppell had flown to Valdosta to check on sales there.