At roughly 3:15 p.m. Thursday, March 11, first responders were called to the Macon County Airport regarding reports of a downed aircraft.
Upon arrival, responders found a small twin-engine Cessna 421B aircraft that had crashed on the property of Liberty Wood Products a few hundred yards from the end of the runway. The pilot had taken off from the runway and lost control of the aircraft, which came to rest on top of a fence demarcating the airport’s property.
Although the pilot and two passengers emerged unscathed, the aircraft sustained extensive damage and was burning when responders arrived. Firefighters from Burningtown-Iotla Fire and Rescue quickly subdued the flames.
Nearly 20 emergency vehicles from several local agencies were on the scene, including Franklin Fire and Rescue, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, and North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The crash site was later investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to a press release issued by Master Trooper Murico Stephens of the State Highway Patrol Public Information office.
The aircraft is registered to Duotech Services, Inc., a firm based out of Macon County.