THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110038
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
A dozen people were killed Sunday when a plane carrying skydivers crashed into a house and exploded near Shacklefords, Va., just moments after taking off from West Point Municipal Airport.
The dead included the pilot, 10 skydivers from a club that includes members from Hampton Roads and the home's occupant. State Police said the dead were from Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, Chester, Quinton, Richmond, Reston, Fredericksburg, Glen Allen and Silver Spring, Md.
Mattie Byrd, who lives next door to the house in which the plane crashed, identified the dead man there as Vincent Harris. She told the Associated Press that his son, Vincent Harris Jr. was playing in the yard at the time of the crash. She believed the boy was taken to the home of local relatives.
State police said identities and hometowns would not be released until relatives are notified.
The Peninsula Sky Diving club includes members from throughout Virginia, from Fredericksburg and Richmond to Hampton Roads.
Arlene Salac, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration's eastern region, said there was no immediate explanation for the crash.
The plane went down about 6:45 p.m. Byrd said it appeared the twin-engine prop plane was trying to turn back.
Byrd told the Associated Press that she ``saw the plane in the air, and it turned like it wanted to go back the other way, then it made a nose-dive.
``I was assuming it was coming in the back door of my house. It sounded like it was going through something, and then it went boom,'' Byrd said. ``By the time we got outside, it had blown and there was fire everywhere.''
Mary Evans, a spokeswoman for the state police, said the crash scene was one of utter devastation. ``It's hard to see parts of the airplane'' in the wrecked and burned house, she said. Most of the house was destroyed, either in the crash or the fire.
The Beechcraft Queen Air BE-65, operated by Peninsula Sky Diving, which is based at the West Point airfield, went down about about one mile west of the airport, Salac said.
``We understand that this is one of three aircraft the company has,'' Salac said. She said the plane was specifically outfitted for skydiving, with no seats in the back.
``It could hold 12 people in the back and two up front - a pilot and co-pilot,'' Salac said.
She said weather did not appear to have been a problem. ``We understand it was a clear day with good visibility,'' she said.
Salac said teams from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were en route to the crash scene off Virginia Route 606 in the Plainview area of King and Queen County. ILLUSTRATION: Map
JOHN EARLE/Staff
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT PLANE PLANE CRASH FATALITIES by CNB