WADESBORO, N.C. — Two people are dead after a small airplane crashed and burst into flames shortly after taking off Friday morning in Anson County, according to authorities.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol confirmed that just before 10:30 a.m. the plane took off from Jeff Cloud Field at the Anson County Airport in Wadesboro.
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Trooper Ray Pierce told Channel 9 that it appeared the plane had some type of engine trouble. He said it was able to clear a first set of trees before dropping into another group of trees and bursting into flames.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the crash scene and could see emergency responders on the ground near dense woods. From the sky, you could see where flames had burned some of the trees.
The airport manager confirmed to Channel 9 that the plane crashed right after takeoff.
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Highway 52 nearby was blocked off while emergency crews responded to the crash site.
Investigators have not yet identified the victims.
The FAA, which had a team headed to the scene, said:
“A single-engine Piper PA-24 crashed after departing Anson County Airport - Jeff Cloud Field in Wadesboro at 10:20 a.m. local time today. Two people were aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration will release the tail number of the aircraft after investigators verify it at the accident site. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates. Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents or incidents.”
Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.
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