BULLOCH COUNTY, Georgia — A tragic aircraft crash on Wednesday afternoon has claimed the life of a Missouri pilot, leaving authorities searching for answers. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old Harvey Cleveland of Peculiar, Missouri, according to local officials.

The crash occurred around 3:00 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 24 and Sand Spur Road, roughly two miles from a nearby airport in the Statesboro area. Emergency crews responded quickly after reports of a downed aircraft, but upon arrival, they found the wreckage and confirmed the pilot had died at the scene.

Authorities said Cleveland was piloting an amateur-built Airshark aircraft, a rare experimental amphibious plane capable of landing on both water and land. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show that only a handful of these aircraft are registered in the United States, making it an uncommon sight in the skies.

Investigators also noted that while “Harvey Cleveland” does not appear in the FAA Airman Registry, an Arnold Harvey Cleveland from Kansas City, Missouri, is listed with the appropriate private pilot licenses. The FAA classifies the Airshark as an experimental aircraft, meaning it is typically built from a kit and does not go through the same certification process as standard factory-built planes.

According to the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, early findings suggest the aircraft may have been experiencing mechanical or maintenance-related issues before the crash. Officials believe the flight could have been a test run, possibly ahead of delivering the aircraft to a buyer in North Georgia.

The National Transportation Safety Board has joined the investigation, with an engine specialist already examining the crash site. The wreckage will be transported to Atlanta for further analysis as authorities work to determine the exact cause. This marks the second fatal plane crash in Bulloch County in recent years, and officials say the investigation is ongoing.