A man killed in a single-engine plane crash on Thursday has been identified.

According to Bell County Coroner Clyde Creech, the pilot of the 1946 Bellanca which crashed in the mountains near Chenoa was William E. Elesesne, 67, of Pineville, S.C.

While the official cause of the crash has yet to be determined, Creech speculated that mountain fog may have played a part in the accident.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the crash site on Friday along with Bell County Sheriff's Department officers.

Elesesne, a retired airline pilot, had brought the plane through Kentucky after having it re-certified. Creech said he may have been on his way home when the accident occurred.

The craft went down two miles off KY 190 deep in the mountains near the Pumpkin Patch (Mason's Farm). According to reports, two men working in the area found the crash site around 5:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Bell County Rescue Squad responded to the call with three units, including three four-wheelers and a Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle.

According to Lt. David Partin of the Bell County Rescue Squad, rescuers had to travel up a rough road and then hike to the crash site where they then removed Elesesne's remains.

They carried him back to the trail and loaded his remains aboard the Mule where he was then moved to a vehicle along the road. The operation concluded around 2 a.m.