Plane explodes in fiery crash by General Mills plant, killing 2, Georgia officials say
A plane crash near a General Mills plant in Georgia left no survivors, authorities said.
A Cessna plane took off from the Covington airport at about 6:45 p.m. on April 21, the Covington Police Department said in a news conference posted to YouTube by WAGA.
Witnesses told police that quickly after taking it off, the plane appeared to struggle to get altitude and they could hear engine trouble, Capt. Ken Malcom said.
Suddenly, the plane veered to the right and immediately went straight down before crashing onto the lot of a General Mills plant, police said. The plane exploded on impact.
“This is a devastating crash, and there are no survivors,” Malcom said.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is now in charge of the investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, told McClatchy News two people were on board.
Authorities said the plane crashed in an isolated area about 300 yards from the plant in a lot where the company stored tractor-trailers, and there were no injuries from anyone on the ground.
“This is a horrible situation, a horrible scene,” Malcom said. “Obviously ... the fact that it didn’t crash into the plant saved many lives.”
General Mills did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on April 22.
Authorities said they saw what they believed was a wing and a part of an engine, but “it’s a lot of charred metal.”
Neither police or the FAA shared what caused the crash as of April 22.
“I’ve worked for this department for three decades, and there have been a handful of crashes, most of them not serious on or near the runway area, but nothing like this,” Malcom said.
