Plane that crashed in Tuscaloosa County is registered to aerial photographer

A plane that crashed Friday morning into the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County is registered to an aerial photographer, according to flight logs.

First responders, including a dive team, responded to an area near Bankhead Lock and Dam after a small plane crashed into the Black Warrior River.

Investigator Jessica McDaniel, a spokeswoman with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, said the plane crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue.

Data from a public flight tracking website reveal details about the flight and its owner.

The Cessna Skyhawk plane owned by Todd Media Inc. departed from the Tuscaloosa National Airport at 9:11 a.m. and flew into Jefferson County, where it made several loops before flying back toward Tuscaloosa. Tracking data for the flight ends at 10:16 a.m.

According to its website, Todd Media Inc. is owned and run by Edward Todd. The company serves the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Montgomery areas and the rest of the Southeast with aerial photography and video production services.

Family members and friends of Todd confirmed on Facebook that he was flying the plane when it crashed Friday.

Todd's sister Rebecca Todd Minder spoke about her brother's death in a Facebook post Saturday.

"My brother Edward Todd is no longer with us," Minder said.

"I feel broken and lost. He was the smartest person in our family, turning his hobbies of flying and photography into careers. His “office” was the sky and he got to witness God’s gift from a perspective many never witness," she said.

Minder said Todd started his career at age 15 at ABC 33/40 as an engineer and had a passion for photography.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Aerial photographer killed in plane crash in Tuscaloosa County