Pilot’s battle to stay aloft to reach airport ends in fiery crash, VA officials say
It was nearly 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 when officials in Albemarle County, Virginia, got a distress call from a pilot.
The pilot was flying alone and struggling to land, according to a news release from the Virginia State Police.
Officials tried to help direct the pilot to land at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, but the single-engine plane was unable to make it, the release said.
The pilot crashed in a wooded area near Plank Road and Stillhouse Creek Road, according to the release. The aircraft caught on fire during the crash and the pilot did not survive. The crash site is roughly 23 miles southwest of the airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, the VSP said.
The remains of the pilot, whose identity is unknown, were taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and identification, according to the release.
Albemarle County is about 80 miles northwest of Richmond.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Pilot’s battle to stay aloft to reach airport ends in fiery crash, VA officials say."
