Friday, June 16, 2017 11:15PM
ERWIN, North Carolina (WTVD) --
Officials are investigating a small plane crash just east of Lillington that took the life of a Raleigh man.
Pictures from Chopper 11 showed the ultralight aircraft down behind a home on Pierce Lane in the Erwin area.
Officials said the pilot - the only person on board - was killed.
He's been identified as 71-year-old Marshall Thomas Watkins.
The Harnett County Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported that the aircraft was taking off from a grassy private airstrip located next to Pierce Lane. It appeared to the witnesses that a gust of wind pushed the aircraft toward a group of trees near the runway, the aircraft made a sharp turn away from the trees and went down.
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Raleigh pilot killed in Harnett County ultralight aircraft crash, authorities say
By CBS North Carolina Published: June 16, 2017, 3:20 pm Updated: June 16, 2017, 8:36 pm
ERWIN, N.C. (WNCN) — An ultralight aircraft crash Friday in Harnett County has killed one person, authorities confirmed.
The crash happened near Pierce Lane in Erwin, officials said. More details were not immediately available.
Marshal Thomas Watkins, 71, of Raleigh was killed in the crash, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Witnesses stated that the aircraft was taking off from a grassy private airstrip located next to Pierce Lane,” the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “It appeared to the witnesses that a gust of wind pushed the aircraft toward a group of trees near the runway, the aircraft made a sharp turn away from the trees and went down.”
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Date: 16-JUN-2017
Time: -15:20
Type: Weight-Shift-Control (WSC) trike
Owner/operator: Private
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Substantial
Location: Harnett Regional Jetport Airport (KHRJ), Erwin, NC -
United States of America Phase: Take off
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: Harnett Rgn'l Jetport (KHRJ)
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The aircraft experienced departed controlled flight and impacted airport terrain shortly after takeoff in gusting wind conditions from Harnett Regional Jetport Airport (KHRJ) in Erwin, North Carolina. The Weight-Shift-Control (WSC) trike sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot onboard was fatally injured.
Sources:
http://wncn.com/2017/06/16/plane-down-in-harnett-county-authorities-say/
http://www.wral.com/one-dead-after-glider-crash-in-harnett-county/16767202/