A plane that crashed Saturday in Rabun County took off from private community airport Heaven's Landing. (Photo by Rob Moore)
RABUN COUNTY - The Rabun County coroner has identified the pilot killed when his small plane crashed in northeast Georgia as 62-year-old Ernest Merkelis of Clayton. <br />
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Merkelis was the lone occupant on the plane.<br />
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Rabun County EMA Director Michael Mazarky said Saturday the crash happened around 9:00 a.m. shortly after takeoff.<br />
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The case has been turned over to the FAA at this point.<br />
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An associate from Heaven's Landing, where the plan took off, said the plane was bound for Chicago, and from there was going to continue on to Wisconsin.<br />
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Heaven's Landing is a private flying community on Little Creek Road off Devil's Branch Road northwest of Clayton.<br />
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He said the plane took off in low visibility and clipped the top of a nearby mountain.<br />
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