Plane Bound For New Haven Crashes, Pilot Killed: Reports

NEW HAVEN, CT — A small plane bound for New Haven crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday morning in a residential neighborhood in Augusta, Ga., killing the pilot who was the only person on board, according to local media reports.

The pilot was identified as Jason McKenzie, reported WRDW, a CBS-affiliate in Augusta. McKenzie was the associate director of philanthropy at Augusta University.

WRDW said the plane took off from Daniel Field Airport and reached an altitude of just 625 feet before it crashed just after 7 a.m. Flight records showed the aircraft was headed for New Haven.

The plane struck a tree and crashed in the front yard of a home in the Forrest Hills neighborhood of Augusta, just north of the airport, said ABC-affiliate WJBF. No other injuries were reported.

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The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement Thursday on the crash:

A single-engine Beechcraft 36 crashed in a residential neighborhood in Augusta, Georgia, around 7:10 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 2. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.

Read more from WRDW and WJBF.