Colleagues have confirmed that a well-known Northeast Georgia physician died in a weekend plane crash in Tennessee. Dr. Lionel Meadows died Sunday when the single-engine Cessna 182 he was piloting crashed in the woods in Polk County near the Tennessee/Georgia border.
Authorities were notified of the crash by a 911 caller. Authorities located a wing of the plane on a public road about a mile from where the crash debris field was found.
Severe weather stalled rescue efforts Sunday night. Searchers found Meadows’ body in the cockpit of his plane on Monday, Polk County EMA Director Stephen Lofty told WRCB-TV in Chattanooga.
A ‘tragic loss’
Dr. Meadows was the medical director at Meadows Surgical Arts based in Commerce. He was also a board-certified obstetrician who practiced for ten years at the Women’s Wellness Center in Toccoa.
A post to his office’s Facebook page late Monday confirmed his passing. It says Dr. Meadows was traveling alone after a weekend of visiting with his family.
“Today, we mourn the tragic loss of our wonderful Dr. Lionel Meadows,” the post says. “Although the exact details are still unclear, Dr. Meadows’ small plane went down during a storm last night, May 7, 2023.”
“Dr. Meadows was a beloved friend, mentor, and inspiration to many of us. He was a brilliant surgeon and doctor who touched the lives of so many with his kindness and passion for delivering exceptional patient care. Dr. Meadows was known for praying with each of his patients before surgery, and we ask for your prayers now as we mourn his death.”
Plane went down in stormy weather
Meadows was flying a plane owned by his company, Georgia Company of Aspiring Flyers, LLC, based in Clarkesville.
The FlightAware app shows that the small plane took off from South Bend, Indiana, at 3:59 p.m. on Sunday, headed for the Jackson County Airport in Jefferson. The plane never arrived.
Polk County, Tennessee, EMA Director Stephen Lofty told reporters a 911 caller reported the crash Sunday evening.
“Around 6:35, we received a call from a local resident stating that they had heard a metallic tinny sound near their residence, and they thought that it might have been a plane,” Lofty told WRCB.
Crews discovered a wing of the plane on the side of a nearby roadway. A drone located an “irradiated field heat source” Sunday night just before ground crews were forced to abandon their search due to severe weather.
The search resumed Monday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Now Habersham will continue to update this story as new information becomes available.
