Virginia Plane Crash Kills 5 People, Including Child After Jet Falls Short of Runway

A total of five people lost their lives in an airplane crash in Virginia near Ingalls Field Airport in Bath County, north of Roanoke in the western part of the state.

At close to 3pm, a Westwind Astra private jet crashed and caught fire upon impact while trying to make an emergency landing short of the runway.

Virginia Plane Crash Prompts Intensive Investigation

First responders are on the scene of a plane crash with multiple fatalities
(Photo : @rawalerts via Twitter.com)

Sgt. Rick Garletts of the Virginia State Police told The Associated Press that the jet exploded into flames upon contact, leaving behind a small crash location that was covered in flames. This meant that it was hard to determine the tail numbers of the aircraft. Garletts noted that attempts were now being made in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the origin and destination of the flight, as well as the identities of the people that were on board.

In the aftermath of the sad incident, the airport had to be closed down as a result of the plumes of white smoke that were seen rising from the scene of the crash, which was reported in local news. In addition to being aware that investigations are still underway, neither the state police nor the aviation authorities have disclosed any additional information, which indicates that there is a continuing search to identify the causes surrounding the disaster.

In an interview with WXFR in Roanoke, Jeff Ford, the chairman of the Bath County Airport Authority, said that the incident included a twin aircraft that had said the need for an emergency landing before the tragic occurrence. The officials confirmed that the jet was not based at Ingalls Field Airport, but they did not divulge the nature of the emergency that occurred, according to AP News.

Virginia State Police Confirm Five Deaths

Virginia State Police released an interview to Fox News Digital in which they confirmed that the incident resulted in the loss of five lives. But they did not provide any other details since they are waiting for more information in the investigation.

Concerns about the security of aviation have been brought back as a result of the tragic incident, which is part of a string of recent aviation tragedies that have occurred across the United States. A private jet crashed onto Interstate 75 in Florida, resulting in the deaths of two people, in another accident that occurred a month ago.

The unfortunate flight, which was piloted by Edward Daniel Murphy and Ian Frederick Hofmann, was captured on video prior to its engine failure, which eventually led to its crash. The pilots' efforts to steer the airplane away from populated regions resulted in the miraculous survival of three passengers while the aircraft was in the process of crashing.

Earlier this year, four individuals lost their lives in a single-engine aircraft crash off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California. Among the victims was a 27-year-old enthusiast who piloted the homebuilt aircraft. Subsequently, another single-engine plane crashed into a car in Concord, resulting in the pilot's death and injuries to the car's driver, underscoring ongoing safety concerns within the aviation community.

Considering the fact that investigations into these incidents are still ongoing, authorities and aviation professionals continue to be attentive in trying to improve safety measures and prevent such disasters within the aviation industry, Fox News reported.