HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say they’ve identified two North Carolina men who died in a small plane crash in Kentucky and neither are certified pilots.
Police said in a statement Thursday that the plane they were flying is believed to have been either stolen or used without permission from the registered owner.
The statement identifies the men who died as 47-year-old Barry A. Hill and 48-year-old George Tucker, both of Sanford, North Carolina. Police say they think the private aircraft was taken from Rome, North Carolina.
Henderson City-County Airport workers discovered the wreckage around 7 a.m. Wednesday when the airport was opening.
Henderson County Coroner Bruce Farmer said the two occupants were found dead inside the plane and are believed to have died on impact.