Five people were killed, including a child, when a private jet crashed short of the runway of a small Virginia airport and burst into flames while attempting an emergency landing.
The twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 crashed about 3 p.m. Sunday near Ingalls Field Airport in the Hot Springs area of Bath County, about 160 miles northwest of Richmond, WSLS reported.
The business jet came down along an airport road, killing the pilot, co-pilot and three passengers, including a child believed to be between the ages of 5 and 7, according to the outlet.
Their identities have not yet been released.
The crew was trying to land because of an emergency, according to Jeff Ford, chairman of the Bath County Airport Authority, without elaborating on what it was.
Police confirmed to WAFB that the flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was not scheduled to land at the airport.
“Small crash site, everything is burnt, meaning the tail numbers are unidentifiable,” state police Sgt. Rick Garletts said, adding that police are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to try and identify the victims.
In addition to state police, the Bath County Sheriff’s Office, Hot Springs Fire and Rescue, Falling Springs Fire and Rescue, and Clifton Forge Fire and Rescue responded to the scene.
With Post Wires