Names Released in Fatal Gulf Shores Plane Crash

Gulf Shores, AL (BuzzReport) – Authorities have released the names of the two people who died after a small aircraft crashed into Bon Secour Bay Saturday night during a return flight to the Alabama coast.

According to the Gulf Shores Police Department, the victims have been identified as pilot Jon George and passenger Dana Ruehel.

Officials say the single-engine Beechcraft A36 Bonanza went down on the night of Saturday, March 7, while returning to Gulf Shores from Palm Coast, Florida.

Flight tracking data from FlightAware indicates the aircraft lost approximately 5,000 feet in altitude before briefly leveling off and then descending again. The plane ultimately crashed into Bon Secour Bay, roughly two miles west of Plash Island.

Emergency crews recovered the bodies of both the pilot and the passenger Saturday night. Authorities also recovered several pieces of the aircraft from the water.

Officials said the plane, a 1982 Beechcraft A36, came to rest in approximately six to seven feet of water. A Florida-based recovery company is expected to retrieve the remaining wreckage from the bottom of the bay as investigators continue examining the crash.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene during the search and recovery effort.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Officials say the investigation is ongoing and additional details may be released as they become available.