BAY COUNTY, Florida (WWJ) - Two people killed in an evening plane crash near Panama City, Florida were identified as MyHealth President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery and her husband, Donald Slattery, police officials announced on Wednesday.
According the Bay County Sherriff's Office in Florida, the couple was flying in their Cessna plane from Michigan to the Sunshine State, making one stop in McMinnville, Tennessee before making the final leg of their trip to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City.
The Cessna plane, which was owned by Donald Slattery, was reported missing around 7 p.m. Tuesday evening after it dropped off from radar only two miles from the airport in Florida.
Authorities and police across several agencies searched the area overnight; they were able to locate the crash, which police said they found in a densely wooded area apporximently one mile from the airport's northbound runway.
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"The BCSO Criminal Investigations and Crime Scene Unit spent most of the night conducting a forensic examination of the scene," officials said through the Bay County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. "The couple's remains are being turned over to the Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy."
The cause of the crash is currently being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“This is a great tragedy for our health system,” said Greg Rogers, executive vice president and chief operating officer for MyMichigan Health said in a press release. “Diane was a strong, passionate and inspirational leader and was beloved by her family, friends and colleagues. We ask that you keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers, and that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Diane Postler-Slattery served as MyMichigan Health president and CEO for over nine years, assuming the role in January of 2013. Before moving to Michigan, she lived in Wisconsin where she served as the president and chief operating officer of Aspirus Wausau Hospital and senior vice president of quality and extended services for the Aspirus system, according to MyMichigan Health's webpage.
"Diane and Don are survived by their three children and five grandchildren," the health system said.
Rogers is has been appointed to acting CEO for MyMichigan Heath until further notice.
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