Missouri Lake of the Ozarks crash victims identified as UPS pilot and his wife, newly elected school board member

MISSOURI, Nov 3 — A small plane crashed near Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri on Tuesday afternoon, killing both people aboard. The Miller County Coroner's Office identified the victims on November 5 as John Peterson, 52, a UPS pilot, and his wife, Michelle Peterson, 51, both of Simpsonville, Kentucky.

Crash shortly after takeoff

The Federal Aviation Administration said a Cirrus SR22 carrying two people crashed in Lake of the Ozarks State Park at about 2:15 p.m. local time on November 3. The patrol said the plane had departed Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport and went down near Public Beach Drive in Camden County, where it was found fully engulfed in flames. Troopers first reported responding to the crash at about 3 p.m. and confirmed the two deaths about 90 minutes later. Flight-tracking data cited by aviation outlets identifies the aircraft as registered N313DG, though the FAA's preliminary notice did not confirm a registration.

Victims identified; cause still under investigation

The Miller County Coroner's Office confirmed the identities on November 5 and said it had found no suspicious circumstances, though both death investigations remain open. Michelle Peterson had stood in the Shelby County Board of Education election for the First Educational District on the day of the crash and won with 1,777 votes to 1,130 for Andrew H. Cline; Kentucky Sen. Aaron Reed confirmed her election and mourned the couple. NTSB investigators arrived at the scene on Wednesday. The cause of the crash has not been determined, and officials have not said who was flying.

(Sources: Missouri State Highway Patrol statements; FAA preliminary notice; ABC 17 News and local reporting, Nov 3-4, 2026. Photo: file image of a Cirrus SR22 of the same model, not the aircraft involved.) Updated Nov 6 with the coroner's identification of the victims.