Beloved Jacksonville business owner, 33, killed in rural plane crash
Published 5:15 pm Tuesday, August 11, 2026
One person died after a plane crashed Sunday afternoon in a rural area of Smith County between Arp and Overton, according to officials.
Smith County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Curtis Wulf said one person – identified as Kaleb Kramer, 33 – was on board the plane and was killed in the crash.
According to a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was an Avid Flyer Mark IV experimental plane. It crashed after takeoff from a private field near Arp around 4:50 p.m. Sunday.
Kramer was the only person on the plane.
In a Facebook post, Kramer’s business, Rogue Offroad, an ATV and UTV business in Jacksonville, wrote they are heartbroken and at a loss of words.
“As many of our valued customers and friends may have already heard, we lost one of the greats today, our leader and friend Kaleb Kramer,” the post read. “This loss is felt community wide and will leave an everlasting ripple in all of our lives. Please take a moment to share your favorite memories of Kaleb with us and please hold his family in your prayers tonight. We are gonna miss you brother.”
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The plane crashed off County Road 227, according to Nikki Simmons, a spokesperson for Smith County Emergency Services District 2.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates.