A pilot was killed after a small plane crashed in Williston in Marion County on Tuesday morning, the Sheriff's Office said.

  • Pilot killed in small plane crash in Marion County
  • Plane went down at about 9 a.m.
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Riley Stevens, 64, of Anderson, South Carolina, was killed. He was the sole occupant of the plane.

The plane went down at about 9 a.m. during severe weather warnings in the area. Lauren Lettelier, the public information for the Marion County Sheriff's Office, said the investigation will determine whether the weather was the cause of the crash.

The Virus-SW plane originated out of Sebring Regional Airport en route to Oconee County Regional Airport in Clemson, South Carolina, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Marion County was under a tornado warning for about 45 minutes this morning, and a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said the severe weather hampered rescuers' response in getting to the scene.

"In this area of Marion County, they were experiencing tornado warnings and very severe weather. We were encouraging people to take shelter and seek a secure place in their home. This is when we got the report of the crash," Lettelier said.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.