Authorities find helicopter, body of missing pilot in Mammoth Cave National Park

GLASGOW, Ky. (WTVQ)

9/6/22, 4:27 a.m.

The body of Stone and his helicopter were found Monday in Mammoth Cave National Park.

According to WBKO, the body of Stone and his helicopter were found around 4 p.m. Cave officials say the helicopter had crashed inside the park’s southern boundary.

Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Terry Massey spoke about the effort to find Stone and his helicopter.

“It looks like a group of people being or willing to put their body in harm’s way to go recover somebody’s loved ones, no matter the condition we go into recover that body where they can have complete closure. This recovery was set up where we had State Police, the coroner, volunteers, which that’s what fire department and rescue squads are to go and recover the body with borrowed, side by sides, stokes baskets to bring the body up,” said Massey.

9/5/22, 3:09 p.m.

Authorities are continuing to search for a man who was flying a helicopter through Kentucky and lost contact after attempting to avoid storms.

According to the Glasgow/Barren County Emergency Management team, David Stone left from an airport in St. Louis on Saturday, Sept. 3 around noon en route to Knoxville. Stone stopped in Sparta, Illinois and called his wife. He then left and was headed to Glasgow, Kentucky to fuel again. He hasn’t been heard from since his call in Illinois. Stone’s wife called multiple law enforcement agencies in Kentucky around midnight after Stone hadn’t contacted her.

Agencies have pinged Stone’s phone and iPad, which last showed his location near the Warren/Edmonson County line near Chalybeate. Emergency management added it’s believed Stone was flying below the radar to avoid the storms, and during this time contact was lost.

Multiple agencies have conducted road surveys and have flown grid searches, still with no luck.

The emergency management team is asking property owners to search their land for any sign of Stone or his helicopter. They ask that if you come across the helicopter to not tamper with it and call 911 immediately.