Small Jet Crash Kills 5 In Georgia

A small jet crash in Georgia killed five people last night at the Thomson-McDuffie County Airport.

McDuffie County Sheriff Logan Marshallsaid that two people survived the crash and were taken to the hospital. The identities of the victims are being withheld at the moment as police notify their families.

Savannah Now reports that the jet, a Hawker Beechcraft 390/Premiere I, ran off the runway at the Thomson-McDuffie County Airport after it landed.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement that jet “overran” the runway and crashed into a wooden area. The pilot survived the crash as well as one passenger.

Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said: “The aircraft apparently ran off the runway and into a wooded area at the east end of the airport.”

Perry Barinowski, a pilot familiar with the plane, said that the Hawker Beechcraft 390 was owned and operated by the Vein Guys, a medical practice in the Southeast. According to the Augusta Chronicle, the plane took off from Tennessee last night where the Vein Guys have a medical practice.

NTSB investigators are currently investigating the crash scene.

Fire Chief Bruce Tanner said: “Our understanding is that he was trying to make a landing and was banking to turn around to land at the airport and, as he was banking to turn around, the plane went into a wooded area.”