Five individuals tragically lost their lives in a fiery aviation accident near Ingalls Field Airport, located in serene Bath County to the north of Roanoke, Virginia.
The incident, involving a private Westwind Astra jet, ended in tragedy as it ignited into flames during a crash just around 3 p.m., Sunday, March 10, 2024, following an unsuccessful attempt to make an emergency landing on the runway.
The Virginia State Police reported that the jet veered off its intended course, tore through several trees, and eventually crashed into a hillside.
The site of the crash, located within a forested area near the airport, became the focal point for an in-depth investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Virginia State Police.
Originating from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the aircraft wasn’t initially meant to land at Ingalls Field Airport. An emergent situation, however, compelled the pilot to attempt a landing, which tragically ended in the crash.
The fatalities included the pilot, a co-pilot, and three passengers, amongst them a child aged five to seven years. Identification efforts for the deceased are ongoing, with their remains forwarded to the Virginia Office of the Medical Examiner.
Responding swiftly, emergency personnel, including Hot Springs Fire and Rescue, the Bath County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police, converged on the site. Their primary focus was on dousing the flames and securing the crash site for the probe. The investigation continues to delve into the emergency’s nature, the flight’s planned destination, and the crash’s causative factors, with early theories suggesting that strong winds might have played a role, though confirmation is pending.
This year has witnessed several tragic aviation events, notably the sorrowful deaths of 43-year-old Victor Dotsenko, his wife, and three children. This family met a tragic end in a blaze following a crash next to Interstate 40 in Nashville just last week.
Additionally, a distressing incident on Florida’s I-75 in February saw a plane crash that led to a significant explosion, taking two lives from the five aboard.
In January, a calamity off California’s Half Moon Bay coast resulted in four fatalities, including a 27-year-old flying a self-assembled plane he had bought for $100,000. Another incident saw a homemade aircraft crash into a vehicle in Concord, California, killing the pilot and injuring someone in the vehicle.