CAMDEN COUNTY, Missouri —Authorities have identified the couple killed in a small plane crash near the Lake of the Ozarks as 52-year-old John Peterson and 51-year-old Michelle Peterson both of Simpsonville, Kentucky, according to the Miller County Coroner's Office.
Just before 2:30p.m.. Tuesday, Miller County E 9-1-1 received an emergency call reporting a small plane crash near Lee C. Fine Airport, located within Lake of the Ozarks State Park near Brumley and Kaiser, Missouri, according to a statement from the Miller County Coroner's Office.
Emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the area and located the crashed aircraft that was burning.
Firefighters with the Osage Beach Fire Protection District conducted fire suppression operations and successfully extinguished the fire. Following these efforts, two deceased individuals, later identified as John and Michelle Peterson, were discovered within the wreckage of the aircraft.
The Miller County Coroner's Office responded to the scene and initiated an investigation into the deaths of both individuals.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the aircraft crash falls under the jurisdiction of federal aviation authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Miller County Coroner's Office is responsible for investigating the deaths and determining the cause and manner of death of the individuals involved.