A small plane went down near Fire Mountain and Treat Mountain Roads in Polk County Friday morning. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash and identity of the pilot who was killed in the crash (photos courtesy of the Polk County Police Department).
Polk County Police Chief Kenny Dodd said GBI officials said the body would be released to the family today.
GBI spokesperson John Bankhead said the body of the pilot flying the Vans RV4 plane when it crashed at 8:46 a.m. July 20 was badly burned making it difficult to identify.
The plane, introduced by Van’s Aircraft in 1980, is a two-seat home-built plane sold in kit form.
The body had been taken to the GBI crime lab Friday afternoon after Polk County Deputy Coroner Tony Brazier completed processing at the crash site.
Dental records of Murphy, the plane’s registered owner, were ordered and the GBI Crime Lab received them over the weekend, officials confirm.
However, Bankhead said the forensic team indicated they needed to call in an expert to confirm the identity.
The crash occurred in a rural area of Treat Mountain near Fire Tower Road and Highway 278 West, near the Alabama-Georgia border.
A cause of the crash has not been determined.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are handling the investigation on the federal level.
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