Andrews – Authorities have identified the couple who were killed in a plane crash two weeks ago.
Dwaine Leon Thompson, 63, and his wife Bobbie Lane Thompson, 57, of Humble, Texas, perished when their 1965 model Beechcraft 35 Bonanza crashed into a mountain on Oct. 3. The couple was reportedly headed from Liberty, Texas, to Maine when they stopped at Western Carolina Regional Airport to refuel around 5 p.m.
According to public flight data, the couple received clearance to leave Western Carolina Regional Airport around 7:40 p.m. An hour and a half later, staff from Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center contacted Cherokee County about a missing plane that was transmitting a distress signal in the forest between Andrews and Robbinsville.
The following morning, authorities found the plane wreckage on the Cherokee County side of the Nantahala National Forest. A preliminary investigation revealed the couple departed the local airport headed east and crashed into a mountain moments later.
Authorities believe the couple was unfamiliar with the terrain in this area. They did not know that it is recommended to head toward Murphy when departing under low visibility conditions.