WEB EXCLUSIVE: Search for plane crash proves negative

A ground and air search of northern Bedford County was conducted Tuesday night after two area residents reported possibly seeing an airplane going down.

Nothing was found as of Wednesday morning, officials said.

Emergency workers were inititally notified of grass fires near a subdivision on Pepper Hill Road and on Eady Road west and north of Deason about 7:45 p.m.

Deputies were later told both callers said they'd seen what they thought was a plane. No fires were found. Also, a man said a loud "boom" shook his room at the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy, Unionville-Deason Road.

Rescue personnel did a "dark search" of an area behind the academy and checked several small, private airstrips in the area. Four-wheelers were used to check several areas described by callers as possible crash sites.

A helicopter was brought in later, finding nothing except a burning brush pile on Ebb Joyce Road.