RALEIGH, N.C. -- RDU International Airport confirms the names of the two victims involved in a Sunday night plane crash.

The plane went missing Sunday night and was found Monday morning.

  • A small plane likely went down in Umstead State Park Sunday night.
  • The plane was lost on radar around 7:25 p.m.
  • The plane was located around 10 a.m. Monday.

Dr. Harvey Partridge and his wife were killed on Sunday evening when their airplane, a Piper PA-32 light plane, crashed near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Colleagues said he opened a veterinary practice in St. Petersburg, Fla. in 1978 and was easing his way into retirement after selling the business recently. Dr. Richard Wilkes opened his own practice in the St. Petersburg area about a year after Partridge did. He said from the beginning, Partridge was a great friend and a good resource.

“Whether it was a police dog or a stray animal that came in off the street, Harvey would just put his heart and soul into it in a way that all veterinarians would try to emulate,” he said.

Courtesy: Partridge Animal Hospital

Colleagues of Dr. Partridge released a statement on Facebook about their passing Monday.

 

 

The plane was a Piper PA-32. Partridge was a licensed pilot and was rated for instrument-based flying. Wilkes, also a pilot, said he and Partridge would often compare notes on their experiences.

“As a pilot, you want to be there at that moment sitting in maybe the right seat of the plane if Harvey's flying and trying to help make sure this doesn't happen,” he said. “You always go through the things as to what could have happened.”

Authorities say the plane went missing over Umstead State Park about 1.5 miles southeast of RDU.

Umstead State Park was closed Monday.

The NTSB said a preliminary report should be ready in about 10 days. The debris will be taken to a federal facility in Jacksonville, Fla. for processing.​