State and federal authorities are investigating a plane crash that occurred Sunday shortly before 4 p.m. in Fauquier County, claiming the life of a 62-year-old Bealeton, VA man.
Virginia State Police reported Simmie Adams was flying a single-engine 1975 Beechcraft plane when it crashed near the intersection of Midland Rd. and Ebenezer Church Rd, which is near the Warrenton-Fauquier Regional Airport.
VSP said Adams was attempting the land the plane when the crash occurred, and according to DC News Now Adams was attempting to land at the airport.
Ralph Hicks of the NTSB told NBC4 Washington, the wreckage was “just south of the runway.”
“Turns out at the moment of his approach, the weather was below minimums,” said David Huss, director of Warrenton-Fauquier Regional Airport. “The cause of the crash is unknown, but apparently, he elected to proceed below the cloud level and impacted with trees,” he told DC News Now.
Federal aviation authorities also believe weather could have been an issue, according to NBC4 Washington. At the time of the crash, the weather was reported to be about a 300-foot ceiling with about a mile-and-a-half visibility varying, Hicks told the news outlet.
When Adam’s plane collided with trees it not only crashed but also caught on fire. Adams died at the scene.
A review of FAA records show that the pilot was the only person onboard. No one on the ground was injured, VSP confirmed.
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