An elderly couple described by relatives as “seasoned pilots” died Thursday after their single-engine plane crashed into a field in Georgia.
Robert and Sandra Denton were flying their family plane from Florida when they lost control and plummeted around 2:30 p.m. in Watkinsville, a town roughly 8 miles southwest of Athens.
The couple had embarked on a 417-mile trip, and were only 21 miles from landing at their final destination in Winder, Georgia when they crashed, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Cessna 177B airplane was destroyed upon impact, Sheriff James Hale told the Athens Banner-Herald.
The damage was so extensive that first responders were unable to immediately determine the type of craft that crashed.
Robert and Sandra’s family said they were “devastated” about the collision and that the duo, 76 and 75, respectively, were “seasoned pilots.”
“While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying,” the Denton family said in a statement.
“Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know.”
They were “beloved residents” of Williamsburg and Clare, Michigan, as well as The Villages retirement community in Florida.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, led by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the crash.
Neither agency immediately responded to The Post’s request for comment.