Note: This story has been updated with new information about the crash site and the victim’s address.
CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. (WREG) — One person has died following a plane crash Tuesday morning near the Mississippi River.
The victim was later identified as Malcolm King, 62, of Hernando, Mississippi, according to a Shelby County spokesperson.
It happened around 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The area where the plane crashed is on the west side of the Mississippi River, surrounded by Crittenden County, Arkansas, but is part of Shelby County, Tennessee.
King had an address in Hernando, Mississippi, but WREG later learned he lived in East Memphis and owned a business in northern Shelby County. His fiancée confirmed that he owned Downtown Memphis Aviation, which is a flight school at DeWitt Spain Airport.
Escaping to the freedom of the air is a joy Adrienne Grammer says her fiancé loved her dearly.
“He’s been flying every day since 2002,” she said.
She had no idea when she saw King on Tuesday morning that he would be taking his last flight.
“I said goodnight to him and I gave him a hug and a kiss and he said I love you goodnight,” Grammer recalled. “His last text message to anyone was ‘I land in 30 minutes. I love you honey, have a great day.'”
King was in a Cessna 162 single-engine plane when it took off from DeWitt-Spain Airport near downtown Memphis and crashed in a farm field near Lake Dacus, according to the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department. .
The FAA said he was the only person on the plane.
A Memphis International Airport spokesperson said WREG King owned Downtown Aviation, a flight school located at DeWitt Spain Airport from where his plane took off.
Her fiancé said the pair just got engaged last year and are due to wed in November. She says he was an extremely hardworking father and worker.
“He was very, very kind, very generous, very loving to everyone, and very passionate about aviation,” Grammer said.
As the investigation unfolds, she finds comfort in knowing that he died doing what he loved.
“I just know he would want me to be happy and carry on like he did when he was here,” Grammer said.
The NTSB said the agency is investigating the crash and a preliminary report will be released in about two weeks. However, it may take a year or more for a case to be published.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department is also assisting the NTSB and FAA with the crash investigation.
It’s the second plane crash in eastern Arkansas in recent days. On Friday, a dust collector crashed in Poinsett County, injuring one person.
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