Five people died in a private plane crash in western Virginia on Sunday afternoon. Virginia State Police announced that the crash occurred at about 3 p..m at Ingalls Field Airport in Bath County.
Five dead in Virginia plane crash: Policehttps://t.co/siTquzI7Zg
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 11, 2024
While the identities of the victims have not been released by authorities, one of them has been confirmed to be a child aged 5-7 years old. Three of them, including, the young child, were passengers while two were the pilot and first officer.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said, “At this time, it appears there were four adults and one juvenile onboard the aircraft. All five, which includes the pilot, died at the scene.”
The victims were on their way to an event at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, when the crash happened, according to State Police Sgt. Richard C. Garletts, who said, “According to the plane owner’s attorney and family friend, the occupants were attending an event at the Homestead Resort in Hot Spring. There were no survivors.”
Speaking to 10 News, Jeff Ford, the chairman of the Bath County Airport Authority revealed that the plane had been trying to make an emergency landing due to an emergency on board. However, it missed the runway, hit some trees and struck the hillside before going up in flames.
The exact emergency that happened on board is not known at this time. It is also unclear if wind had something to do with the crash.
The airport has been shut down as the Virginia State Police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration investigates the crash.
