Couple, ‘seasoned pilots’ identified as 2 killed in Oconee County plane crash

OCONEE COUNTY, Ga. — A couple flying from Florida to Georgia have been identified as two people who died in a plane crash Wednesday. Now the victims’ family is speaking about the tragedy.

Robert and Sandra Denton, both residents of Williamsburg, Mich., Clare, Mich., and The Villages, Fla., were flying in their single-engine plane, a Cessna 177B, from Leesburg, Fla. on their way to Barrow County Airport.

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While en route, the plane crashed off of Government Station Road in Watkinsville, Ga., part of Oconee County around 3 p.m.

Both Dentons on board, described by family as seasoned pilots, died in the crash. In a brief statement, the Denton family said the two were taken before their time.

“While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying. Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know,” the statement reads in part.

“We are sincerely grateful for the outpouring of support shown to our family from Robert and Sandra’s many friends and neighbors. We also wish to extend our gratitude to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and first responders who were at the crash scene, as well as the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan for their assistance.”

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The crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. There are no additional details on the incident at this time.

The family is asking for privacy in the wake of the accident.

If you live in the area of Stonebridge Parkway and Latham Drive and find any debris that may be connected to the plane crash, officials are urging you not to move it call the Oconee County Georgia Sheriff’s Office at 706-769-5665.

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