The names of the two people killed in a Sunday (August 13) plane crash on Lake Hickory have been released. They are the pilot, 63-year-old Jeffrey Jay Cooley of Granite Falls and passenger, 49-year-old Brian Frank Miller of Hickory. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol released the names late this morning (August 14).

At approximately 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to an airplane crash in Catawba County near Selkirk Drive. A single-engine Super Petrel Amphibious Plane had just departed the Hickory Regional Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the plane struck overhead power lines and crashed into Lake Hickory.

Initial reports stated that the crash appeared to be somewhere between Glen Hilton Park and Gunpowder boat landing. The Plane reportedly crashed into high voltage power lines and knocked out power to more than 20,000 residents in the area. Customers in Catawba, Alexander, and Caldwell Counties were affected.

According to popular flight tracker program FlightTrader24 and FAA records, the plane appears to be a Scoda Super Petrel LS, a fixed wing single engine plane that was manufactured in 2022.

According to AirNav’s RadarBox, the plane appears to have departed the Hickory Regional Airport at 11:24 Eastern and started to fly east. The plane was estimated to peak at 1,600 feet and 103 knots (118 mph). The last radar ping estimated the flight at 1,275 feet and with a ground speed of 75 knots (86 mph).

The pilot and passenger passed away as a result of their injuries at the scene. Highway Patrol secured the scene. The FAA will conduct the investigation.