LOUISBURG, N.C. – Three people are dead after a small, single-engine aircraft crashed into a pond and broke into pieces Friday night. 

• Three people were on board: one man and two women
• FAA says the plane was heading to Hilton Head, S.C.
• Crash remains under investigation 

Franklin County Sheriff Kent Winstead says two women and one man were on board and all three bodies have been recovered. 

The Raleigh Police Department confirms that Brian Sjostedt, a former officer was among the victims. His girlfriend, Jessica Kenny, was also a victim. The third victim, a woman, has not yet been identified.

According to the FAA, a Cessna C182 took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading to Hilton Head, S.C.

Officials say the plane went under 10 to 12 feet of water. The sheriff's office says a neighbor reported hearing an explosion around 8 p.m. It happened at Clifton Pond Road near MC Wilder Road, which is not far from the airport.

The crash remains under investigation.