GARLAND COUNTY, Ark. — Update: The plane has been removed from Lake Hamilton and an investigation is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
Officials have asked for the public's help with providing any possible footage that may have captured the crash— including external surveillance cameras, RING Door Bell cameras, or audio recorders.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact Sgt. Green with the Garland County Criminal Investigations Division at (501) 622-3675.
The Garland County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that a plane crashed into the water on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs.
Officials received a call shortly after 8 a.m. in reference to a small-engine aircraft that had gone down in a cove located off 161 Port Au Prince Street.
Multiple local agencies, including the Hot Springs Fire Department, police, and divers, have responded to the scene.
One 23-year-old woman was recovered from the aircraft and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
After searching the lake, divers recovered 49-year-old male pilot Daniel Dale unresponsive. Dale was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have confirmed that the plane was on the way to the Hot Springs Airport before the crash. An investigation is underway with authorities looking into the origin of the distress call and the airplane's last location.
The plane was identified as a 177 Cardinal with tail number N3138T that departed from Kentucky and diverted to the Hot Springs Airport.
According to authorities with the HS airport, a call was made to the flight tower from the airplane requesting permission to land due to aircraft distress.
Once the plane did not land at the airport as intended, emergency authorities were contacted and en route to the location of Port Au Prince.
There is no word on how many people were on board or what caused the crash. We will continue providing updates as more information is released.