Four walk away from Sunday plane crash

Published 11:45 am Monday, July 1, 2019

By Gregory Clark

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Theresa Schneider photo

Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Theresa Schneider photo

A sightseeing flight ended abruptly yesterday afternoon just minutes after takeoff when the small plane apparently lost airspeed and crashed near the Dare County Regional Airport. Three passengers and the pilot of the Cessna suffered only minor bumps and bruises.

The plane is owned and operated by OBX Airplanes, a local air tour and banner towing air service operating out of Dare Regional Airport on Roanoke Island. Airport manager David Daniels said the Federal Aviation Authority is expected to arrive at the airport today, Monday, July 1, to investigate the crash.

Daniels said although the exact cause of the crash isn’t known, he was told the pilot reported he lost airspeed moments after takeoff. Daniels said it appears the pilot made a forced landing in an open area just outside the airport’s runway protection zone off Airport Road. The plane came to rest in an area of heavy underbrush near two adjacent houses. The names of the pilot and passengers haven’t been released.

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Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department, Dare County EMS, North Carolina Highway Patrol and Dare County Sheriff’s Department responded to the crash site at about 2:45 p.m. on Sunday. Both lanes of Airport Road were blocked for a time and the Dare Regional Airport was closed to flights for about an hour.

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