Moments before a plane carrying four Warsaw men crashed into a South Carolina field, a wife received texts from her husband on board that plane.
Charlie and Scott Smith, Scott Bibler, and Tony Elliott were on board a single-engine plane that left Warsaw for the Notre Dame-Clemson game on Friday October 2.
All four men died from blunt-force trauma related injuries.It's still unclear to investigators what caused the plane to crash in a remote region of South Carolina, near Lake Hartwell.
WSBT spoke with Tony Elliot's wife who says she was sending texts with her husband as the plane was going up, and during part of the flight. She said they had a conversation earlier in the day that the cloudy weather was not ideal for flying.
She described hearing of his death as unbelievable. Now that feeling is rippling across the whole community.
"It's a loss for words. Don't know what to say or think about it," said Trey Johnson, who knew Tony Elliot. "Everyone is trying to hang in there and keep your head up."
The four men were a part of the tight-knit bond thatmakes up the Warsaw community. Nicki Palmer has worked next to the Scott Smith's law firm downtown for more than 10 years.
"A big hole for a long while. It's going to be hard to not have them around for awhile," she said. "Not having them come in and see their big smiling faces, that's 'gonna be the hardest part."
The pilot, 77-year-old CharlieSmith, was a member of the Warsaw Common Council, known as "coach," won the Chamber of Commerce's "Man of the Year" in 2001, and was involved in dozens of local and regional organizations.
His son, 44-year-old Scott Smith, was an attorney who played basketball in college. He was actively involved at the Warsaw Community Church and an avid Notre Dame fan alongside his father.
Tony Elliott is a local legend among sprint car racing in the United States and abroad. He's won multiple titles in New Zealand and Australia and owns a trailer shop in Warsaw.
Scott Bibler was a former Tippecanoe Valley High School football coach and counselor. He waswell-known among students and faculty alike.
"He not only 'counseled' students, he invested in their lives and in their souls," said teacher Deb Zawlochi in an email. "Though he no longer was employed at Tippy, the profound impact he made on us and our school will never be forgotten."
Parts of the single-engine plane were recovered from a remote area in Oconee Countyon both sides of a lake. A representative from NTSB said crews would use sonar technology to search the lake since wreckage was found on both sides of the lake.
Once all the parts are documented, crews will transport all the wreckage to Georgia where the NTSB will work to determine the cause of the accident. A representative from NTSB said an initial report will come out in 7-10 days and a full report in 12 months.
NTSB officials say there was no evidence of a fire when the crash occurred and there's also no evidence of a mechanical malfunction as of yet.
Warsaw Common Council to recognize Smith
On Monday night the Warsaw Common Council will honor one of the victims in the wake of Friday's tragic plane crash.
Charlie Smith had been a common council member for 16 years and has a long history of public service in Kosciusko County.
Right now, the council is preparing to set aside time to recognize his important contributions. Each council member will take time to remember him.
The mayor says he has asked each council member to prepare a one to two minute presentation about Smith. The beginning of the meeting will be dedicated to remembering him.
Charlie was up for re-election next month. He was running unopposed on the ballot. Now his seat will have to be filled.
The city will be looking to state election laws to govern how they go about filling that position in the coming days and weeks.
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. remembers Scott Bibler
Brett Boggs, superintendent of schools for Tippecanoe Valley School Corp., issued the following statement to WSBT 22:
Our prayers are with the loved ones, families, and friends of Scott Bibler, Charlie Smith, Scott Smith, and Tony Elliot. Special prayers for Scott's wife, Stephanie, and their daughters, Chelsea and Meagan.
Scott Bibler was one of the most caring, sincere, and genuine men I have ever known. He had the rare ability to make everyone he encountered feel like they were a personal friend. He truly and sincerely cared about others.
During the past couple of years our schools and the community have dealt with numerous tragedies. Because Scott cared so much about our kids and the community, he was at the forefront of our efforts to help others heal and to prevent further tragedies. In moving to his new position with Crosswinds, he felt he could have an even greater impact on families and the community than he had as a school counselor.
Scott made a tremendously positive impact on many young men and women during his time on earth. We are forever grateful for the difference he made at Tippecanoe Valley.
Scott lived his faith every day and is now in the presence of our Savior. He will be missed by many left behind to grieve his passing.
Charlie Smith was the first head football coach at Tippecanoe Valley High School. He was an outstanding teacher and a highly successful football coach, leading the Vikings to an IHSAA State Championship in 1979 Coach Smith is a legend in our community. He also served a four-year term as a member of the Tippecanoe Valley School Board from July 1, 1986, through June 30, 1990.
His son, Scott Smith, is a Tippecanoe Valley High School graduate. Prior to his death, Scott served as a member of the TVHS Distinguished Alumni Committee.
Services
On Sunday night WSBT 22 learned funeral arrangements have been finalized for the Smiths.
Vistiation and memorial services for Charlie and Scott will occur concurrently on Monday, October 12 from 2 to 8 p.m.
The dual funeral services will be Tuesday, October 13 at 10 a.m.
Tributes on both days will be at the Warsaw Community Church.