UPDATED: WARREN COUNTY, Tenn. — Two brothers from the Viola area were killed earlier this week on June 17, after their private aircraft (Tail Number N-7637v) crashed in a cornfield on the Cumberland Plateau in Warren County, about 40 miles southeast of Murfreesboro. The crash happened within 3-minutes of take off. Apparently, the airplane took off at 12:11 P.M. and crashed at 12:14 P.M. on Wednesday.

Officials identified the victims as 69-year-old Brian Stuart Ramsey and 65-year-old Keith Warren Ramsey. The aircraft involved was a fixed-wing, single-engine Cessna 177-RG Cardinal. Records indicate the airplane was registered to Brian Ramsey, though authorities have not confirmed which brother was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.

According to Warren County officials, dispatchers received a report of a possible aircraft crash at 12:19 p.m. Deputies with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Warren County Volunteer Fire Department, and other emergency responders were sent to the area where the plane was believed to have gone down. Emergency crews later located the aircraft in a cornfield near the Morrison Industrial Park.

When responders reached the crash site, they searched for any signs of life. Tragically, both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The preliminary investigation indicates the aircraft had departed from a private airstrip in the Viola community. Shortly after takeoff, the 50-year-old plane, manufactured in 1976, reportedly struck a tree and sustained damage. Investigators believe the pilot then attempted to reach Warren County Memorial Airport, but the aircraft was unable to make it and ultimately crashed.

Witnesses in the area reported seeing the airplane flying unusually low before the crash. One person said they initially thought the plane may have been preparing to land in a field.

“We saw the plane in the distance and thought it was about to land in a field, which would not be too uncommon because at least a couple of people out here have Cessnas and cordoned-off fields they use as runways,” the witness said. Another person recalled being concerned by the aircraft’s altitude, saying, “We weren’t sure what they were doing, but knew the plane appeared to be too low for it to be safe.”

The crash has deeply affected the Viola community and the local aviation community in Warren County. In a social media post, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office described the deaths as a heartbreaking loss.

“This is a heartbreaking loss for their family, friends, and the entire Viola community, as well as all of the local pilots who knew the brothers personally,” the sheriff’s office stated. “The Warren County Sheriff’s Office asks everyone to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”

The National Transportation Safety Board was on the scene Thursday, where investigators examined the wreckage and sifted through debris. The aircraft was later transported to a secure facility, where investigators will continue reviewing the damaged pieces of the plane in an effort to determine what led to the crash.

The NTSB is expected to continue its investigation in the days ahead. A preliminary report could be released within the next 30 days, though a final determination on the cause of the crash may take longer.

Below photo of the airplane from FlightAware.com.