Franklin man, Iowa woman died in Montgomery County plane crash

DARLINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Franklin, Indiana, man and an Iowa woman were identified Wednesday as the two people who died in a plane crash Sunday in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County authorities received a 911 call about 10:20 a.m. Sunday about a small plane in a field north of the intersection of County Road 800 East and State Road 47, Sgt. Jeremy Piers with Indiana State Police said Sunday.

Benjamin Corbet, 21, of Franklin, and Kristen Green, 28, of Swisher, Iowa, died in the crash, the Indiana State Police said in a news release Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday said the single-engine Diamond Katana DA40 crashed at 10:20 a.m. Sunday in a field just outside the town on Darlington. The area is about 30 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

The FAA said the plane departed from Lift Academy in Indianapolis at 9:53 a.m. The FAA said it would release the aircraft tail number after investigators confirm it. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the crash.

A spokesperson for Lift Academy shared a statement on Sunday afternoon: “We are heartbroken by this tragic accident and the loss of our team members. We will support their families in any way possible and work with the NTSB to fully investigate this event.”

Lift Academy, the Leadership in Flight Training Academy, is headquartered near the northeast end of the campus of the Indianapolis International Airport. It opened in September 2018 and is owned and operated by Republic Airways, a regional airline also headquartered in Indianapolis. Republic operates daily flights for American Airline, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The academy offers three programs, including a pathway to a career with Republic. Eight pilots from the academy’s first group of students began their careers with Republic on June 1.