Federal investigators have arrived in High Point to try to determine why a plane crashed near Piedmont Triad International Airport minutes after abandoning an attempt to land at Smith Reynolds Airport.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Bureau and the Federal Aviation Administration arrived today, High Point police said.
The crash killed the pilot, who has not been identified, and Thomas Littlejohn III, a prominent Winston-Salem physician.
“We are very saddened by the tragic loss of Dr. Thomas Littlejohn, III, treasured friend, colleague, and co-founder of Maplewood Family Practice,” said Tom Cannon, a physician who co-founded Maplewood Family Practice with Littlejohn in 1978. “He was a gifted physician, astute businessman, and excellent medical partner. We will miss him greatly, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Littlejohn was also known for his research as president and medical director for PMG Research, a network of pharmaceutical research facilities in the Southeast.
The plane was en route from Wilmington to Winston-Salem and crashed after circling Smith Reynolds and turning east toward PTI. It crashed into a house in a neighborhood south of PTI. No one on the ground was injured.
The plane, a Hawker Beechcraft BE58, was owned by Charlotte-based Jet Logistics. Company officials declined to release the name of the pilot, deferring to investigators, but did issue a statement about the crash.
“Jet Logistics was notified this evening by the FAA of an accident involving a Beechcraft Baron 58 model aircraft registered to the company. We are working with the appropriate authorities to ascertain and verify all relevant facts. In accordance with regulatory and emergency response policies, at this time we must refer all questions regarding this situation to the National Transportation Safety Board,” the company’s Web site said.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this tragedy, and out of respect for those individuals, friends and family, we ask all third parties to please respect their right to privacy during this difficult time and honor the request to direct their inquiries to the appropriate NTSB spokesperson.”
A cause of the crash has not yet been determined, however the weather conditions would have created hazards for pilots.
The weather at the time was foggy, with visibility reduced to about half a mile, said Brandon Locklear, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. Cloud cover was close to the ground - only about 100 off the ground in Winston-Salem, and 200 feet in Greensboro.
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