A devastating small plane crash in a remote, wooded area of Massachusetts has claimed the lives of three individuals, including the owner of a flight school, a flight instructor, and a student pilot, according to state police on Monday.
Flight school community mourns loss
According to the local media reports, Fredrika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Massachusetts, owned the Fly Lugu Flight School, and William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, served as a flight instructor. Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was a student pilot on the ill-fated flight. The tragedy unfolded on Sunday when the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55, which departed from Barnes Airport in Westfield at 11:06 a.m., crashed near Leyden, Massachusetts.
Emergency responders, alerted by dog walkers who witnessed the crash, located the wreckage in the Leyden Wildlife Management Area near Greenfield around 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately, all three occupants were found deceased inside the aircraft.
Seeking answers amidst grief
Fly Lugu Flight School could not be reached for comment, as reported by the local media. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are actively investigating the crash, with aviation inspectors responding to the site on Sunday and a safety board investigator expected to arrive on Monday.
State police emphasize that the investigation is ongoing.
