Toccoan victim in fatal Tennessee plane crash

The pilot whose plane went down Sunday evening in the Tennessee mountains has been confirmed to be Toccoa-Stephens County resident and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Lionel Meadows.

Late Monday, the staff at Meadows Surgical Arts in Commerce released a statement on their FB page confirming it was Dr. Meadows.

Meadows had been visiting family in Indiana and was flying back to the Jackson County airport Sunday evening when his plane encountered a storm in the mountains near Chattanooga in Polk County, TN.

Residents living near the crash site called 911 after finding part of the plane’s wing on a roadside below the crash site.

Rescue workers using a drone were able to find the plane and the debris field Monday morning after the storm had passed.

Dr. Lionel Meadows was double board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.

Originally from Macon, Georgia, Dr. Meadows lived in Stephens County with his wife, Kathryn. They have two children.

He and his wife founded a non-profit organization, the Surgical Hope Foundation, in 2010, with the goal of helping to fulfill pressing medical needs for those without adequate medical coverage.

The couple also offer scholarships each year to local area students who plan on entering the medical field.

In 2021 they awarded 9 recipients with a $1,000 scholarship through the Surgical Hope Foundation.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later for Dr. Lionel Meadows.