Prominent Wayne County, Ga., businessman Rick Poppell, 52, died Monday night in a plane crash in Lowndes County. Poppell’s Diamond Aircraft DA40 airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Valdosta Regional Airport. He was the sole occupant of the four-seater Austrian-made aircraft.
Searchers looked for Poppell throughout the night and into Tuesday morning before sighting the wreckage. The FAA reported Monday night that Poppell had telephoned to report trouble just after 8:30 p.m., when he left the airport. Shortly after that call, the airplane disappeared from radar and a search was initiated.
For the complete story by Derby Waters of The (Jesup) Press-Sentinel, click here.
