3 killed in Ohio small plane crash identified as father, son and family friend heading to Florida

JACKSON, Ohio (AP) — The three people killed when their a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff in southeast Ohio were identified as a father, his son and a family friend on their way to Florida to pick up a newly purchased vehicle over the weekend, authorities said.

The pilot, 44-year-old Daniel Baker of Jackson, and his father were on their way to Florida with 45-year-old Zebulon Logan of Lucasville to pick up a vehicle Logan had purchased when their plane went down Saturday in a field a quarter-mile north of the James A. Rhodes Airport, the Jackson County sheriff’s department said.

A car belonging to Daniel Baker, the pilot, was found parked at the airport, officials said. His father was listed by the sheriff’s office as Robert Daniel Baker, 78, of Lucasville while the Ohio State Highway Patrol identified him as Dan Baker, 75, of West Portsmouth.

The Piper PA 32 Cherokee Six was spotted burning just off the roadway after 12:30 p.m., and the Jackson Fire Department worked to extinguish the flames while emergency medical responders checked for occupants and found the three victims dead, the sheriff’s department said.

The Jackson County coroner sent the remains of the victims to the Montgomery County coroner’s office for autopsies, and the state highway patrol will join the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the cause of the crash, the sheriff’s office said.

The James A. Rhodes Airport is located roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south-southeast of Columbus.