ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – Federal investigators are trying to determine why a plane carrying a Tampa Bay area veterinarian and his wife, crashed in North Carolina.

Dr. Harvey Partridge and his wife Patricia Partridge died Sunday night when their plane crashed near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, officials say. According to a news release, the couple’s plane disappeared from radar as it approached the airport. The wreckage from the crash was found Monday morning.

Lost by controllers early Sunday night, rescue workers found the twisted wreckage among trees in a state park.

Inside, the bodies of Dr. Harvey Partridge and his wife, Pat, both 72-years-old.

“I was really devastated and so is the whole veterinary community,” said Dr. Don Morgan of the Bluffs Animal Hospital.

Dr. Partridge is remembered as a veterinarian who cared, served on several boards and pitched in to help animals when owners couldn’t pay for treatment.

“He was a great friend of everybody. Everybody loved Dr. Partridge and his wife, Pat. Very involved in the community,” said Dr. Morgan.

At the St. Petersburg Police Department, K-9 handlers knew, they could trust their dogs to Dr. Partridge. “Cared for us.  Bent over backwards for our unit and he does the same for the rest of his customers” said  K-9 handler, Sgt. Chris Turbee.

The animal hospital he founded, closed for the day, out of respect.

A post on its Facebook page talks about being an advocate for animals.

He recently treated K-9  “Danno” after hours when the K-9 became seriously ill.

“Just the name Partridge, I think can relate to a lot of people in the community cuz, they see the name, and just associate just a good vet, he’s a good trustworthy vet,” said Sgt. Todd Hancock, another K-9 handler at the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Dr. Partridge and his wife enjoyed fishing, scuba diving. They were high school sweethearts from Mt. Dora.

The National Transportation Safety Board is now taking over the investigation to determine what caused the crash.

This marks the second time this month a Tampa Bay area doctor was killed in a plane crash.

Dr. Daniel Greenwald, a 59-year-old plastic surgeon from Tampa, died in a central Indiana plane crash earlier this month. NTSB officials say that crash was caused by the wrong fuel being put in his Piper Aerostar 602P.

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