KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people have died and a third was seriously injured Thursday in a plane crash at the Lake of the Ozarks.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol initially said three people were seriously injured in the crash, which happened near Osage Beach in mid-Missouri.
Police later identified the two men as Hayden M Ritchhart, 22, of Carrollton, and Evan R. Vandiver, 19, of Richmond. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary information indicates that Ritchhart was piloting the plane, which
The third victim, 54-year-old Gary Vandiver, was seriously injured.
Osage Beach police said the crash happened shortly before noon.
Troopers said they were called around 12:15 p.m. to an area near an old golf course between Missouri KK and U.S. 54 in the Osage Beach area.
The plane reportedly had just taken off from the Grand Glaize Airport in Osage Beach.
The highway patrol said the Osage Beach Police Department will handle the crash scene and that the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were called to handle the crash investigation.
The NTSB said a Piper PA-28-140 crashed shortly after takeoff.
An NTSB investigator was expected to document the scene Friday with a preliminary report on the investigation's findings is expected in late July or early August.
The final report, including "a probable cause and any contributing factors," will take up to two years to complete.
The highway patrol initially said three people suffered serious injuries.
Later in the afternoon, a spokesperson for the Osage Beach police told Springfield NBC affiliate KY3 that two of the people had died.
The plane had three occupants, all sustaining serious injuries.
— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) July 13, 2023
The FAA has been notified and will be conducting the crash investigation. The Osage Beach Police Department will handle the crash scene and should be contacted for all media inquiries. pic.twitter.com/1xb45joAk0
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