Local News

1 man, 2 women killed in Franklin County plane crash

Three people were on board a small plane that crashed into a Franklin County pond Friday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Posted Updated

By
Mikaya Thurmond
, WRAL anchor/reporter
BUNN, N.C. — Three people were on board a small plane that crashed into a Franklin County pond Friday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to the crash at Clifton Pond Road near McWilder Road just before 7:30 p.m., after a neighbor heard an explosion and called 911.

The plane was submerged in water, and parts scattered around the area following the crash, authorities said.

Authorities on Saturday afternoon confirmed one man and two women on board had been killed in the crash.

An FAA spokesperson previously said the pilot was the only person on board the Cessna C182 plane that took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading toward Hilton Head, S.C.

Tyrese Robertson, who lives near the crash site, said it is not uncommon to hear planes overhead, so locals know when something doesn't sound right.

"We see them and hear them a lot," Robertson said.

Robertson said his father heard something go wrong Friday night.

"Like a plane having trouble staying in the sky, but he thought it was trying to land. Then, after a while, he heard a boom, boom, like an explosion, like it crashed and he did not hear anything else," Robertson said.

Authorities said they do not believe a distress signal was sent from the single-engine plane before the crash.

Authorities said one of the biggest challengers for investigators following the crash was being able to access the site. With all the rain, the area was particularly swampy, making it difficult to pull the plane from the water.

The plane was eventually removed Saturday afternoon.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will work to determine the cause of the crash.

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