CLAXTON, Ga. — Three men are dead after an hours-long search for a plane that crashed near the Claxton-Evans County Airport, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.
A call for a "missing and unaccounted" plane came just around midnight, deputies said.
When deputies arrived, they started a search for the plane.
Georgia State Patrol Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration were contacted and helped with the search, the office added.
Authorities finally found the plane just around 5:30 a.m. where they found three men that were dead, according to the release. The National Transportation Safety Board identified the aircraft as a Piper-PA-30.
"Please pray for the families involved in this tragic incident, as our hearts go out to them during this time," the sheriff's office said in it's release.
Deputies added that the FAA will investigate the crash. The NTSB also said on Twitter it would investigate.
The identity of the victims have not yet been released.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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