BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) – A Blount County native was one of three people killed when a small airplane crashed October 29th, 2009 in St. Croix, Virgin Islands.

MSgt. Mark Malone Atchley, 50 formerly lived in Rockford and still has several family members in East Tennessee. They included his son Christopher and daughter Rachel of Knoxville as well as his parents, Fred and Jane Atchley of Rockford.

Authorities in the U.S. Virgin Islands confirm he was one of three people on board a single-engine Cessna 177 last Thursday when it crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames. The crash is still under investigation, but federal officials said the pilot reported problems after takeoff and tried to return to the airport before the crash. The coroner said Atchley was identified from steel pins used during an old knee surgery.

According to his obituary, Atchley had a great love for nature and water, and his country. He was a 28 year veteran of the Tennessee Air National Guard and at the time of the crash he was serving with the 228th Combat Communication Squadron. He was also living on a boat docked at Keesler Air Force Base in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Family members said Atchley was in the Caribbean because he had been hired to rewire singer Jimmy Buffett’s boat. When the plane crashed, he had been headed to St. Thomas to look into another similar job.

Atchley’s family will receive friends at Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Maryville on Saturday, Nov. 7th, 2009 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’ll be followed by a celebration of his life. He’ll be laid to rest that afternoon with full military honors.

Donations can be made in his name to the Madison Avenue Van Fund.