Police believe the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing when the plane ran short of the runway, hit several trees and crashed into a hillside.
www.wlbt.com
BATH COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) - Five people, including a child, were killed when a small plane crashed at Virginia’s Ingalls Field Airport, according to state police.
Virginia State Police say the victims have been identified as the pilot, copilot, two adults and one child. Police believe all five people were on board the Westwind Twin Astra Jet when it crashed Sunday in the Hot Springs area of Bath County.
According to Jeff Ford, chairman of the Airport Authority, the plane did not belong to Bath County,
WDBJ reports.
Police say the flight came from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was not scheduled to land at the airport. It’s believed the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing around 3 p.m. when the plane ran short of the runway, hit several trees and crashed into a nearby hillside, causing a brush fire.
The fire was extinguished shortly after by Hot Springs Fire and Rescue, Falling Spring Fire Department and Clifton Forge Fire and Rescue crews.
All north and south roads on Route 703 in the vicinity of Airport Road are closed until further notice.
The crash is being investigated by the state police, Bath County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.