Frozen, KY. (May 25, 2021) – On Monday, May 24, 2021, at approximately 1:34 P.M, Kentucky State Police, Post 13, Hazard, received a call that an aircraft had crashed into a field and was currently on fire. The caller reported the aircraft down near the intersection of KY-1812 and KY-378.

Troopers along with Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and located the downed aircraft fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish those flames. Post 13, contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and notified them of the incident. Detectives responded to the scene and initiated an investigation. The Breathitt County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and declared one unknown individual deceased. The remains were removed and sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, The FAA along with NTSB, responded to the scene and launched their investigation into the crash. Through investigation, the unknown male was identified as, Timothy Michael Pankiewicz, 62, of Green Cove Springs, Florida. It was also discovered that the flight originated in Florida with a destination of Ohio.

This incident remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The cause of the accident is still unknown at this time.

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