4 Victims Identified In Small Jet Crash In Gordon County: GBI

GORDON COUNTY, GA — Officials have identified the three men and one woman who died Saturday when a small jet crashed in a remote part of Gordon County. The aircraft fell off the radar about 50 miles north of Atlanta just after 10 a.m.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab helped identify the crash victims:

• Pilot: Roy Smith, 68, of Fayetteville, Georgia
• Co-pilot: Raymond Sluk, 63, of Senoia, Georgia
• Pilot's son: Morgen Smith, 25, of Atlanta
• Morgen's girlfriend: Savannah Sims, 23, of Atlanta

Gordon County Deputy Coroner Christy Nicholson spoke at a press conference on Sunday and said at 1:12 p.m. on Saturday, Gordon County officials found the crash site.

About 24 hours later, Nicholson said the bodies of four victims were found at the site.

Heidi Kemner, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed the Cessna 501 Citation twin jet departed Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field in Peachtree City around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The small jet was headed to John C. Tune Airport near Nashville.

Sheriff Mitch Ralston told WSB-TV the small jet was found about three miles off any main road by local residents who were looking for it on ATVs.

According to registration records from the Federal Aviation Administration, the small jet had a registration number of N501RG, and is registered to Remonia Air LLC. Kemner said it is believed this is a private plane and that one of the four passengers owned it.

One witness told WSB-TV he heard a loud "boom" in the area Saturday.

Heavy snow was falling between 7:30 a.m. and noon in northern Georgia, but it's unclear if weather played a part in the crash. Kemner said the NTSB will conduct a weather study from a meteorologist in D.C.

Kemner said her team was focusing on documenting the accident site on Sunday and will continue on Monday. The team will collect perishable evidence and will then move the wreckage to a secure facility where it can be examined further.

"Overall, we will look into the man, the machine and the environment," Kemner said. "After completing the on scene phase of the investigation, we will gather more information at our office in Washington, D.C., like weather information, more air traffic control data and review maintenance records."

A preliminary report will be released in about 10 days, and will be found online at www.ntsb.gov. Then in 18 months, the factual report will be released online, she said.

Officials are not looking at a cause of the crash right now, but instead focusing on documenting the facts, gathering what they can from the site and taking the plane back.

Kemner said there was no evidence of a fire that they could tell.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.