22-year-old pilot, 19-year-old passenger die in Ozarks plane crash, Missouri cops say

Two men were killed and a third was seriously injured after a small plane crashed in the Ozarks, according to Missouri police and media reports.

Missouri State Highway Patrol officers said the crash happened around 12:15 p.m. Thursday, July 13. The small plane had just taken off from Lee C. Fine Airport in Lake of the Ozarks State Park when it crashed into the treeline of an abandoned golf course, officers said.

Witnesses heard “a loud boom,” Osage Beach Fire Protection District officials told KOLR, but it took 45 minutes for searchers to locate the downed plane.

The 22-year-old pilot, Hayden Ritchhart, was killed in the crash, according to KMBC. One of the two passengers, 19-year-old Evan Vandiver, also died, the station reported.

Investigators said Gary Vandiver, 54, suffered serious injuries, according to KY3. The relationship between the Vandivers is unclear, but authorities said all three victims are from Missouri.

The crash is reportedly being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 5:55 AM with the headline "22-year-old pilot, 19-year-old passenger die in Ozarks plane crash, Missouri cops say."