An Alabama plane crash during an emergency landing attempt killed three Mississippi couples returning home from a dentists' convention in Florida.
The Piper PA-31 went down in the Van de Graaf Arboretum in Tuscaloosa County, roughly a quarter mile east of the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, about 11:20 a.m. Sunday, WBRC-TV reported.
Terry Lloyd, director of aviation for the City of Kissimmee, Florida, told WBRC-TV that the couples were attending a convention in Orlando and left there for Oxford, Mississippi on Sunday morning.
The Oxford Eagle identified those on the plane as Drs. Jason and Lea Farese; Dr. Michael Perry and his wife, Kim, a nurse practioner; and Dr. Austin Poole and his wife, Angie. All were from the Oxford area.
WBRC-TV said the pilot started reporting issues at 11 a.m. and was on final approach to the Tuscaloosa airport when it crashed 1,000 feet short of the runway.
"Very unfortunate," Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy told the television station. "I mean, you are literally a very, very short distance from the actual runway. I mean, it's truly basically in the perimeter of the airport itself. (It is a) very, very sad unfortunate situation."
The Oxford Eagle said Oxford University Aircraft Charters LLC, which was owned by the Fareses, operated the plane, according to flight information.
The newspaper said the Fareses left three children behind, with the youngest starting kindergarten this week. The Perrys left behind three children and the Pooles left behind five children.
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