JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- A husband and wife have been killed after their single-engine Cessna crashed in James City County on Friday afternoon.
WTKR reports the crash occurred just before 5 p.m. near the 5600 block of Boatwright Circle, which is close to the Willamsburg-Jamestown Airport.
Firefighters used a rope to help pull the wreckage from the trees. They removed the small plane wreckage from the tree line at the Williamsburg Landing Retirement Community.
Firefighters said the plane fell out of the sky with a hard impact, nose first.
"I heard a pop, a noise, and didn't realize what it was," said resident Nancy Ward.
In a community right behind the airport, folks say they see aircraft flying low all the time, but never expected this kind of an accident nor the tragic ending that would follow.
"I'm very sorry it happened, but I guess these things happen," said Ward.
Virginia State Police said the pilot, 54-year-old Joseph D. Brown IV, and his wife, 52-year-old Susan S. Brown, died at the scene. The couple's dog also perished in the crash.
JCCFD Assistant Chief Bob Ryalls said the plane, which was slated to land at the nearby airport, crashed in a wooded, grassy area between residences and about 50-75 feet from a house.
"The NTSB will do their investigation in conjunction with the state police," said Ryalls.
The single engine Cessna's flight plan was from the northern Virginia/DC area to Williamsburg, when it crashed. Firefighters said it had fuel left onboard.
"We were fortunate there was no spark to set the fuel off on the aircraft," said Ryalls.
State police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation and that the FAA responded to the crash scene Friday evening. The NTSB is set to arrive Saturday morning.
James City County Plane Crash (Source: Jon Burkett)
