One man died and another was injured after a small plane crashed in Gwinnett County on Tuesday.
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Gwinnett County firefighters responded to the 1000 block of Old Athens Road around 5:30 p.m. after the county’s air traffic control tower reported a single-engine plane had engine trouble.
Investigators say the small plane had taken off from Briscoe Field about 90 minutes earlier. But as it tried to return, the pilot reported engine trouble.
“I heard it like boom. it was like a distant boom,” said neighbor Natoria Hopgood. “It smelled like something was burning badly. It was hurting my nose a lot.”
Firefighters arrived at 5:39 p.m. and found the aircraft crashed in a wooded area. Both occupants were trapped inside. Crews worked to free the two men.
One of them died in the crash. The survivor was taken to a local hospital.
Firefighters found no active fire at the scene.
The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office responded after the scene was cleared by the FAA. The office will determine the cause of death.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were notified and are investigating what caused the crash. The NTSB will handle further questions about the investigation.
Gwinnett County police will secure the wreckage while the investigation continues. The NTSB described the aircraft as a Velocity-173 FG airplane.
The FAA and the NTSB are taking over the investigation.
