Multiple fatalities reported after plane crashes in Georgia during flight from Columbia

The plane went down in the area of Maxey and Elder roads. (WSBTV.com News Staff)

OCONEE COUNTY, GA (WOLO) – Multiple fatalities have been reported in Georgia after a plane crashed during a flight from Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

The FAA confirmed the plane was a Piper PA-46 that crashed 10 miles southwest of Athens, Ga. around 4:35 p.m.

The Oconee County Sheriff’s confirmed the multiple fatalities Tuesday afternoon.

According to the FAA, Air Traffic Controllers lost contact with the aircraft as it was flying over Oconee County en route from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina to the Tuscaloosa National Airport in Alabama.

The FAA will investigate and the NTSB will determine the probable cause of the accident.