Update: Cause of plane crash to be released in 10 days

The National Transportation Safety Board expects to release a preliminary cause of the Saturday night plane crash into Melton Hill Lake within 10 days.

The Federal Aviation Administration is gathering evidence from the scene, including interviews with witnesses.

A final report from the NTSB will be released at a later date. An FAA investigator is working on the case Monday.

Bodies recovered; victims identified

Rescue divers recovered two bodies Saturday evening from Melton Hill Lake following a small plane crash, according to an FAA official who spoke to Knox County authorities.

The pilot was Bret Smith, 40, of Pleasantview, Tenn., according to Martha Dooley, spokeswoman with the Knox County Sheriff's Department. The passenger was 54-year-old Ron Siedentoph of Lakeway Drive in Knoxville.

Smith and his wife flew the plane from Pleasantview to an engagement party for Siendentoph's son. Smith was giving Siedentoph a ride in the plane when the incident happened.

Emergency crews responded to the crash at 5:46 p.m. near W. Gallaher Ferry Rd. along the Anderson and Knox County line, according to the Karns Volunteer Fire Department.

FAA registration for the plane list it as a fixed-wing single-engine SeaRey modified plane, an amphibious aircraft that seats two passengers. The documents list the owner as Bret B. Smith of Providence, Rhode Island. However, the registration status lists it as "Undel Tri," which usually means the registration information is out-of-date and the FAA's mailed documentation was returned by the post office.*

Amateur video sent to 10 News shows the plane flying over the lake moments before the crash. See the video section of this page to watch the :23 second clip.

Witnesses said the plane banked and went into the water at a very steep angle, as if it ran out of air power.

Angie Hage was relaxing with her husband and children near the lake when she saw the crash. Hage said the plane was flying very low before it nose-dived and hit the water.

"It had been circling and we thought it was going to hit the trees, then it went straight down and we heard the sound, like a big slam on the water," said Hage. "My husband John ran and called 911."

Boaters who witnessed the crash rushed to the scene and signaled for help. Witnesses said the plane completely disentegrated on impact, making the search more difficult. The boaters used anchor lines to help authorities dredge in search of debris.

"We expected to see debris or oil on the water when we rushed down to the dock, but there was nothing," said Hage. "Boaters were waving for us to call for help and I could see them looking over into the water trying to find anything."

A Knox County Sheriff's Department helicopter searched the area, and at least a dozen boats concentrated on one section of the lake. Four agencies helped with the rescue and recovery operations.

Workers recovered part of the plane Saturday. The National Transportation Safety Board will search for the rest of the aircraft Sunday and investigate the cause of the crash.

*A previous version of this story listed the plane type as being a SeaRey modified Piper Cherokee, based on the records for it listed on FlightAware. Based on additional information and the fact that the records were apparently out of date, the Piper Cherokee designation has been removed.