The pilot of an L39 Albatros jet that crashed Sunday afternoon in Graves County has been identified.
According to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, 70-year-old James Alan Michaels, of Dousman, Wisconsin, had just taken off from the Mayfield-Graves County Airport, when he reported a problem and attempted to return to the airport.
The jet crashed into a field off Spence Chapel Road, near KY 131 and I-69. Emergency responders found the plane engulfed in flames.
An autopsy was scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Michaels’ daughter, 35-year-old Tonie Michaels, was flying another jet, and returned safely to the airport. She was later flown back to Wisconsin by an acquaintance.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident, and the sheriff’s office requests everyone to stay away from the crash site.
PHOTO: Graves County Sheriff’s Office
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