The three people who were killed in a small plane crash Sunday in western Massachusetts were identified Monday as part of a local flight school.
State police said the victims were 68-year-old William Hampton, of Indian Orchard, Mass.; 29-year-old Chad Davidson, of Woodstock, Connecticut; and 53-year-old Frederika Ballard, of Southwick, Mass.
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Ballard was the owner of the Fly Lugu Flight School in Westfield, Mass.; Hampton was a flight instructor for the company; and Davidson was a student pilot. All three occupants were found within the crashed plane and pronounced dead on scene by Greenfield firefighters, state police said.
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The plane, a Beechcraft 55 Baron Twin-Piston, was owned by the Fly Lugu Flight School. State police detectives said they have determined that the plane had taken off from Barnes Airport in Westfield around 11:06 a.m. Sunday.
State police said dog walkers in Leyden and Greenfield notified them around 11:30 a.m. that a small plane appeared like it was going to crash.
The plane was located in a small clearing in the woods within the Leyden Wildlife Management Area around 12:33 p.m. state police said.
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Police said on Sunday that the crash location was in a clearing on the side of a wooded mountain on the Greenfield-Leyden town line.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration confirmed they were investigating after the twin-engine airplane crashed under unknown circumstances near the Leyden Wildlife Management Area, close to the Greenfield town line.
Both the FAA and NTSB confirmed that all three people on board were killed, according to Greenfield police.
Greenfield police asked people to avoid the area off of Oak Hill Acres Road on Sunday, saying anyone who comes to look at the scene will be turned away.
State troopers provided security at the scene overnight, with the investigation by federal, state and local authorities resuming Monday morning.
The NTSB will lead the investigation to determine what happened, with assistance from the FAA.
An NTSB investigator is expected to arrive at the scene on Monday to document the scene and examine the aircraft.
The NTSB investigation will look at the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. The investigator will also gather information and records on flight track data; air traffic control communications; aircraft maintenance; weather forecasts; weather and lighting conditions at the time of the crash; pilot's license, ratings and recent flight experience; 72-hour background of the pilot; witness statements; electronic devices; and any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
The NTSB said it would not speculate about the cause of the crash, adding that a probable cause along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the agency's final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.
