Pilot killed when small plane crashes in southwestern Ohio

HARLAN, Ohio (AP) — The pilot of a small plane was killed when it crashed in a rural area of southwestern Ohio, authorities said.

Elio Abiakel, 42, of Mason, was the only person aboard the Piper Cherokee Arrow plane when it went down around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in a field in Harlan Township, according to the Warren County Coroner’s Office. Emergency responders initially could not locate the crash site, and they eventually had to use all-terrain vehicles to navigate the difficult terrain and reach the scene.

The plane had departed from Oklahoma and was due to land at the Clermont County Airport in Batavia, authorities said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. It will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.