Monday at approximately 8:09 AM the Garland County Communication Center received a phone call in reference to a small engine airplane that went down into Lake Hamilton in the area of 161 Port Au Prince. Deputies with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office Enforcement Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Arkansas State Police and Officers with the Hot Springs Police Department all responded to the scene.
Once on scene Hot Springs Fire Department, Lake Hamilton Fire Department, Piney Fire Department, Garland County Marine Patrol, Garland County Department of Emergency Management and Hot Springs Divers were all contacted and responded to the scene.
Once on scene contact was made with a female occupant of the air plane who was recovered and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Divers with the Hot Springs Fire Department entered the lake and recovered a male passenger from the airplane.
Authorities with the Hot Springs Airport responded to the scene and stated a call was made to the flight tower from the airplane that had been traveling from Kentucky requesting permission to land due to aircraft distress. Once the plane did not land at the airport 911 authorities were contact and were already in route to the location off Port Au Prince.
The passengers from the plane crash in Lake Hamilton have been identified as passenger 23-year-old Denise Jones who was transported and then flown to UAMS, and pilot 49-year-old Daniel Dale Jones from Kentucky who was recovered unresponsive at the scene.
It has been confirmed that they were en route to the Hot Springs Airport and their last location is being investigated by the FAA as well as the reason for the distress call.
The airplane is described as a 177 Cardinal.
This is still considered an active investigation.
