The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997               TAG: 9701030478
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

6 DIE IN CRASHES OF 2 SMALL PLANES HEAVY FOG MAY HAVE BEEN FACTOR IN EDENTON, CRASH KNOCKS OUT POWER.

Six people were killed Thursday night when two small planes crashed in unrelated incidents in Hampton Roads and northeast North Carolina.

Heavy fog, resulting in poor visibility, may have been a factor in both crashes.

Four people died about 7:40 p.m., when a twin-engine Piper Aerostar crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Chesapeake Municipal Airport, state police said.

The plane, en route from New York City to Atlanta, had just dropped off two people, believed to be relatives of someone who was still aboard the plane when it went down.

Witnesses said that heavy fog had settled over the area as temperatures dropped Thursday night and that the plane took off in high winds.

The Sentara Nightingale air ambulance was called in but turned back well before reaching the site because the fog had severely reduced visibility.

The plane went down about 1 1/2 miles northwest of Runway 23 in a marshy area on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp. Witnesses said it burst into flames after the crash. It had just taken on a full load of fuel, witnesses said.

The fire was out by the time rescue crews arrived.

Firefighters, paramedics and police had difficulty getting to the crash site, more than 500 yards south of the nearest road. The airfield is just east of the swamp.

``It's still hectic and hazardous out there, just due to terrain alone,'' said Tammy Van Dame, a state police spokeswoman. ``It's really rough out there.''

People at the airport said the pilot, whose name was not immediately released, was familiar with the airport. The New York to Atlanta trip, with refueling in Chesapeake, was a regular run for him, they said.

The identities of the passengers, as well as the pilot, were being withheld until relatives could be notified.

The other crash Thursday night caused a power blackout in Edenton, N.C., and surrounding areas.

The Coast Guard said a single-engine Cessna 208 ran into power lines and crashed in the Albemarle Sound about 5 miles east of the city. The accident happened about 6:50 p.m.

Two people were aboard the aircraft and neither survived, the Chowan County Sheriff's Department said.

The victims' identities were being withheld until their families could be notified.

The plane went down about 200 yards from shore, in 4 feet of water, the Coast Guard said. It crashed on final approach to the airport at Edenton, about a half-mile short of the runway.

Weather in northeast North Carolina was poor at the time. The National Weather Service was reporting heavy fog or mist all over the region, although the exact weather conditions at the crash site were not known late Thursday.

The plane had left Manteo en route to Edenton. The flight had been chartered by the United Parcel Service in Jacksonville, N.C., but whether it was carrying UPS parcels was unclear.

There were conflicting reports that the plane had hit high-tension power lines or had struck one of the metal towers holding the lines.

In either case, Charles Shaw - a retired oil executive who has been backing efforts to improve the Edenton airport - said the power in the area went out at 6:50 p.m.

Utility crews were on the scene assessing the damage, but it was unclear when power would be restored to Edenton.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were alerted to both crashes, and teams of investigators were expected to arrive in Edenton and Chesapeake today. ILLUSTRATION: Color illustration

Chesapeake Crash

Piper Aerostar

Map: Area Shown: Plane crashes near airport

North Carolina Crash

Cessna 208

Map: Area Shown: Plane crashes into the Albemarle Sound

KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT PLANE CHESAPEAKE EDENTON


by CNB