Bodies of eight passengers aboard downed air craft near Drum Inlet recovered
On Wednesday afternoon, it was determined that the command center located at the Down East Fire Department in Sea Level, NC, would close, as all of the passengers at the fuselage and the original crash site were found.
Sheriff’s officials have been working closely with medical examiners from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner based in Carteret County. The remains of the passengers have all been examined at Carteret Health Care, Morehead City, and are in the process of being transported to East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, for further examination and identification.
At this time, two of the passengers have been positively identified and their remains will be turned over to their families. Officials have personally met with the surviving Carteret County family members to express the love and support of the Down East community and Carteret County in its entirety.
Local and federal authorities have collected numerous aircraft parts, including the flight data recorder which will be turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina command center received a report at 2:13 p.m. Sunday, of a possible downed aircraft from an air traffic controller at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, stating that the aircraft was seen behaving erratically on radar and then disappeared from the radar screen. The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the passengers who were aboard the plane on Tuesday, which included four teenagers from the Down East community.
Additional updates will be provided as information comes available.
