Five individuals were on board a single-engine Cirrus SR22 plane that crashed at the Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the crash occurred around 5 p.m. while the plane was attempting to land. Four adults and one child have been confirmed dead.
According to the National Park Service, eyewitnesses stated that the aircraft crashed into a wooded area near the airport and immediately caught fire. Photos shared in Outer Banks Facebook groups showed smoke visible miles above the treetops.
The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and other nearby fire departments quickly arrived at the crash site and extinguished the blaze, but the damage had already been done. Drone footage from the following morning revealed the extent of the devastation, though the wreckage was difficult to view due to the dense tree cover in the area. The National Park Service confirmed that the Wright Brothers National Memorial would be closed on Sunday due to the crash.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. While the exact cause of the incident remains unclear, investigators are collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine what caused the plane to go down.
The plane departed from Pinehurst, NC, and made stops in Ocracoke and Manteo before the crash.
This is not the first time a plane crash has occurred at or near the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The memorial has seen several aviation-related incidents over the years, including a few minor crashes and emergency landings in previous decades.
The Cirrus SR22, a single-engine aircraft known for its advanced safety features, including a built-in parachute system, was registered to a private owner, Pantheon Aviation LLC. However, no further details about the passengers’ identities have been released, pending their families’ notification. The investigation into the crash is expected to take several weeks.