12

12-12-07
Plane Crash - Fatality
Happy Ln, Statesville, NC

The call came in a few minutes before 10am of a plane that had crashed next to the runway at the Statesville Airport. Units responding and locating the plane on Happy Ln, found the plane had crashed through the trees and had struck the ground, coming apart and killing the pilot who was the only one on board. The plane was an experimental plane. A witness on the scene said that there was a backfire type of sound and the engine sounded like a diesel engine just before it crashed. There was a small fuel leak on scene but no fire. Units from West Iredell Fire, Statesville Fire Station 3, Iredell Rescue, Iredell County EMS, Iredell County Emergency Manager, and NC State Patrol responded.

This plane is similar. This is a Velocity which has a retractable gear. The plane that crashed was Aerocanard and had a fixed landing gear..	The engine is in the rear of this type of plane. This is not the same plane that crashed.	EMS units on scene check the victim.
The top of the tree where plane came through.	Remains of the plane. Engine is at left side under fuselage.	Fire units set up line for foam suppression.
View of scene from other side of the gully.	Paul Webster, Emergency Manager	Rescue unit getting ready to extricate the victim.
Starting to foam the area behind the plane.	Wetting down the area before foam.	Foam being put down near the small fuel leak.
Area foamed for safety.	Units bring victim up to the roadway.	New paint scheme for Highway Patrol.

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