A plane crash in Northport, Miss, on August 14 killed 6 people who had attended a dental conference in Florida. The plane crashed about 11:20 a.m. in a wooded field east of the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport as it was traveling from Kissimmee, Fla, to Oxford, Miss.
The deceased included Dr. Jason Farese and his wife Lea, both dentists; Dr. Michael Perry, a periodontist, and his wife, Kimberly, who was a nurse; and Dr. Austin Poole and his wife, Angie. The pilot reported engine problems in a distress call before the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the crash, which occurred about a quarter to a half mile short of the airport’s runway. A preliminary report is expected in about 10 days with a factual report expected in about a year.
“Over the course of the investigation, we will be looking into the man, the machine, and the environment to determine what happened and how we can prevent it in the future,” said Heidi Kenmer, an NTSB safety investigator.
Jason Farese, a private pilot who was first certified in 2004, is assumed to have been the pilot. The plane, a 1984 Piper PA-31 Navaho, was registered to a company that shares an address with his dental office.
Drs. Jason and Lea Farese were the operators of Farese Family Dental in Oxford. Dr. Perry was part of MidSouth Dental Implants & Periodontics, also in Oxford. Dr. Poole operated a practice in Clarksdale, Miss.
