(IntegrityPress.org) – A twin-engine small aircraft crashed in Bath County, Virginia on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of five people, per police sources. Local affiliate WXFR in Roanoke reported the incident occurred at Ingalls Field Airport around 3 p.m. on March 10.
Chairman of the Bath County Airport Authority Jeff Ford said that the aircraft requested an emergency landing before the crash. It was unclear what the emergency was or why the pilot made the request.
NBC News reported that the passengers included four adults and one child. They also reported that the aircraft was a twin-engine IAI Astra 1125. The plane was flying out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) airport.
Family and friends confirmed to the media that the pilot was Alfredo J. Diez, who was on board with his family and crew. The New York Post is reporting that those killed include Diez, his wife, Kseniia Shanina, and their young son Nicholas. The other two people killed in the crash include Gagan Reddy and Claudio Colmenares who were friends and associates of Diez. None of those killed in the crash have been officially identified by authorities at the time of writing.
The aircraft crashed just 1/10th of a mile from the runway, according to representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Officials are investigating the incident and were at the site as of Monday.
Wreckage from the crash was located just a few hundred feet shy of the runway. The airport was closed following the crash. It was unclear when it will resume service.
Strong winds were reported over the weekend, suggesting that it could have had something to do with why the aircraft was unable to reach the runway. Preliminary reports from NTSB usually take a few weeks to determine the cause of the incident. Final reports can take months to years, in some cases.
Diez was the CEO of Atlantis Flight Academy, suggesting he was quite familiar with the operation of aircraft.
Copyright 2024, IntegrityPress.org
