Search resumes Wednesday for duo in Cessna that collided with F-16 in Moncks Corner

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCIV) -- Two people on board a Cessna 150 are presumed dead after the small, private plane and{}an{}F-16 Fighting Falcon collided in the sky above a Berkeley County plantation Tuesday, authorities said.

The F-16 pilot, identified as Maj. Aaron Johnson of the 20th Fighter Wing from the Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, survived after ejecting safely. He was flying a solo practice mission to Charleston some 2,000 to 3,000 feet in the sky, talking to air traffic control, when the collision happened, Shaw Col. Stephen F. Jost said.

"From what I understand from a witness, that the plane was,{}the military plane, struck the other small aircraft broad side," Berkeley County Rescue Squad Capt. Bill{}Salisbury said.

The collision was reported about 11 a.m. near the Lewisfield Plantation off Old Highway 52, about 30 miles north of Charleston. Debris is scattered over about 7 miles.{}Berkeley County Coroner and Rescue Squad Capt. Bill Salisbury said they have found most of the jet but only parts of the Cessna and have yet to find the two people who were on board.

"We have no reason to believe anyone survived," Salisbury said.

Salisbury said their focus was{}to find the bodies, which had not been recovered when their search ended at{}9 p.m. Tuesday.{}He said they recovered identifying information about the pilot and passenger but declined to release their names until a noon press conference on Wednesday. The search resumed again at 8 a.m. Wednesday, he said.Divers from the Department of Natural Resources and multiple other agencies are assisting in the search which even involves{}the use of drones.

Salisbury{}said it appears the private plane was heading to Myrtle Beach.{}

Jost said Johnson, an experienced F-16 pilot, was on a practice mission flying on instrument controls when the crash happened. Salisbury said Johnson landed on Medway Plantation, as did most of the jet, which was absent munitions.{}

Ted Cox, a resident of the campground{}where some of the debris landed, said the Cessna flew by a couple of times when "out of nowhere" the F-16 flew straight through the Cessna on the left-hand side, causing an explosion in the air above.{}

"It was like an eagle taking out a sparrow," Cox said.{}

A couple of men found Johnson and drove him to a nearby ambulance that took him to Joint Charleston Air Force Base for evaluation. Jost said it's typical for pilots to suffer some injuries during ejection but{}he expects Johnson to return to Shaw by Tuesday evening.{}

Officials said debris has been found across 7.3 miles of woods and swampland. Much of the terrain is forest and swamp, only reachable by dirt and gravel roads. Police blocked off several roads in the area.

No one was hurt by debris but at least two campers were damaged when a piece of the jet crashed on the campground. More than 150 people with more than 20 agencies are on the scene.{}

Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said investigators are interviewing witnesses.{}

"I heard a boom and then like a real subtle rumbling," said Cameron Jacobs, a Berkeley Golf Course employee.

Steven Hill said the plane was flying low. "I heard a noise, like a jet was flying low," he said. "I told my dad, 'Man, that plane is awful low. I don't know what's going on but something's happening."

Kathryn C. Dennis, a member of the cast of "Southern Charm" on Bravo, tweeted Tuesday that the plane crashed in a rice field near her home.

"Update: the small plane crashed in the rice field directly in front of my house and the people in it are friends of my family. Please pray," Dennis wrote.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said an investigator is expected to arrive at the scene sometime Tuesday night.

The next press conference is planned for noon Wednesday.